adjective
leery
LEER-ee/ˈlɪri/
Cautious because of suspicion or doubt.
The buyer remains leery of the used-car seller's reassuring claims.
Etymology
Leery began as slang covering knowing alertness as well as suspicion. Its origin is uncertain, but those early meanings connect watchfulness with the cautious distrust expressed today.
In context
people were a little leery about having so many um I guess Graves or whatever they felt that this could cause disease or Vapors
More examples
- She was leery of making another promise.
- We grew leerier as the story changed.
- His earlier mistake left him leery of easy answers.
Forms
leery · leerier · leeriest
Similar words
- wary
- The ordinary adjective for cautious suspicion.
- skeptical
- Skeptical emphasizes doubt rather than cautious distrust.