Look-alike words

Wary vs. Weary

Wary means careful and watchful because of possible danger or trouble. Weary means very tired, or tired of something. You might be wary of a strange dog and weary after a long hike.

Word	Part of speech	Meaning
wary	adjective	cautious and on guard about possible danger or problems
weary	adjective	very tired, or bored and impatient with something that has gone on too long

Wary

adjective: cautious and on guard about possible danger or problems

Be wary of emails that ask for your password.
The deer stayed wary of the hikers on the trail.

Weary

adjective: very tired, or bored and impatient with something that has gone on too long

After the twelve-hour shift, the nurses were weary.
Residents are growing weary of the constant roadwork.

How to remember the difference

Wary hides inside aware: a wary person stays alert. Weary has an E, for exhausted.

Good to know

Both are often followed by of, which adds to the mix-up: wary of means suspicious of, and weary of means tired of. Wary rhymes with scary; weary rhymes with cheery.

Spot the mistake

I'm ~~weary~~ wary of sharing my address with strangers online.
Correct: I'm wary of sharing my address with strangers online.
The ~~wary~~ weary travelers fell asleep as soon as they reached the hotel.
Correct: The weary travelers fell asleep as soon as they reached the hotel.

Check yourself

Pick the word that fits each sentence.

1. After hours of moving furniture, Marcus felt and sore.

2. Shoppers should be of deals that seem too good to be true.