chary

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Related to chary: Charlie Chaplin, coincident

char·y

(châr′ē)

adj. char·i·er, char·i·est

1. Very cautious; wary: was chary of the risks involved.

2. Not giving or expending freely; sparing: was chary of compliments.

[Middle English chari, careful, sorrowful, from Old English cearig, sorrowful, from cearu, sorrow; see care.]

char′i·ly adv.

char′i·ness n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

chary

(ˈtʃɛərɪ)

adj, charier or chariest

1. wary; careful

2. choosy; finicky

3. shy

4. sparing; mean

[Old English cearig; related to caru care, Old High German charag sorrowful]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

char•y

(ˈtʃɛər i)

adj. char•i•er, char•i•est.

1. cautious or careful; wary.

2. shy; timid.

3. particular; choosy.

4. sparing; frugal (often fol. by of): chary of his praise.

[before 1000; Middle English; Old English cearig sorrowful =c(e)ar(u) care + -ig -y¹]

char′i•ly, adv.

char′i•ness, n.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Adj.

chary - characterized by great caution and wariness; "a cagey avoidance of a definite answer"; "chary of the risks involved"; "a chary investor"

cagey, cagy

cautious - showing careful forethought; "reserved and cautious; never making swift decisions"; "a cautious driver"

chary

adjective

1. wary, guarded, careful, reluctant, cautious, suspicious, uneasy, scrupulous, circumspect, leery (slang), heedful Some people are rather chary of being associated with him.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

chary

adjective

1. Trying attentively to avoid danger, risk, or error:

careful, cautious, circumspect, forehanded, gingerly, prudent, wary.

2. Careful in the use of material resources:

canny, economical, frugal, provident, prudent, saving, Scotch, sparing, thrifty.

Translations

حَذِر، مُحْتَرِس

bedlivýopatrný

varsom

vorsichtig

prudent

aîgætinn

cauto prudente

piesardzīgs

bedroefd droevig preuts schuw triest

forsiktig tilbakeholdende varsom

dikkatliihtiyatlı

谨慎的

chary

[ˈtʃɛərɪ] ADJ (charier (compar) (chariest (superl)))

1. (= wary) → cauteloso
he's chary of getting involved → evita inmiscuirse

2. (= sparing) she's chary in her praise → no se prodiga en alabanzas

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

chary

[ˈtʃɛəri] adj (= cautious) to be chary of sth, to be chary about sth → être méfiant(e) à l'égard de qch, se méfier de qch
to be chary of doing sth, to be chary about doing sth → hésiter à faire qch

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

chary

adj (+er) (= cautious) → vorsichtig; (= sparing) → zurückhaltend (of mit); I’d be chary of taking lifts from strangers if I were you → an deiner Stelle würde ich nicht so ohne Weiteres mit Fremden mitfahren; he is chary of giving praise → er ist mit Lob zurückhaltend

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

chary

[ˈtʃɛərɪ] adj → cauto/a, attento/a
to be chary of doing sth → andare con i piedi di piombo prima di fare qc

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

chary

(ˈtʃeəri) adjective

(with of) cautious. Be chary of lending money to someone you don't know very well.

Mentioned in ?

References in classic literature ?

But surely a gentleman so chary of his steps would stop there; no doubt-- but, then, it was none the less true that he was going away, this so domestic person hitherto!

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Prince Vasili knew this, and having once realized that if he asked on behalf of all who begged of him, he would soon be unable to ask for himself, he became chary of using his influence.

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Before a very long time had elapsed, the village smarties began to feel an uncomfortable consciousness of not having made a very shining success out of their attempts on the simpleton from "old Shelby." Experimenters grew scarce and chary. Now the young doctor came to the rescue.

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In fact, he had found that his fads added to his reputation as a pudd'nhead; there, he was growing chary of being too communicative about them.

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Madame Defarge wore no rose in her head, for the great brotherhood of Spies had become, even in one short week, extremely chary of trusting themselves to the saint's mercies.

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I should have been chary of discussing my guardian too freely even with her; but I should have gone on with the subject so far as to describe the dinner in Gerrard-street, if we had not then come into a sudden glare of gas.

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On each creek he was entitled to locate one claim, but he was chary in thus surrendering up his chances.

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But sometimes it happened that Marner, pausing to adjust an irregularity in his thread, became aware of the small scoundrels, and, though chary of his time, he liked their intrusion so ill that he would descend from his loom, and, opening the door, would fix on them a gaze that was always enough to make them take to their legs in terror.

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Fortunately, however chary the Indians might be of their horses, they were liberal of their dogs.

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A young girl--especially if she be a very pretty one--can never be too chary of her lips."

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He was naturally humane, but possessed of no small share of moral courage; or, in other words, he was chary of the lives of his patients, and never tried uncertain experiments on such members of society as were considered useful; but, once or twice, when a luckless vagrant had come under his care, he was a little addicted to trying the effects of every phial in his saddle-bags on the strangers constitution.

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Thanks, Mephistophilis, for this sweet book: This will I keep as chary as my life.

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