Definition of CHARY

chary

Adjective Satellite

  • characterized by great caution and wariness
    • "chary of the risks involved"
    • "a chary investor"

Adj

  • Careful, cautious, shy, wary.
  • Excessively particular or fussy about details; fastidious.
  • Not disposed to give freely; not lavish; frugal, sparing.
  • Cared for, regarded as precious; cherished.

Adv

  • Synonym of charily: carefully, cautiously, warily.

Adjective

  • Cautious, wary, or hesitant about doing something.

Examples

  • He was CHARY of playing a high-scoring word that could open up a bonus for his opponent.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English chari, charre, charri, chary, Early Middle English cearig, chariȝ (“concerned with, diligent; sad, sorrowful; of a person: cherished, loved”), from Old English ċeariġ (“careful; pensive; chary, wary; anxious, sad, sorrowful; dire, grievous”), from Proto-West Germanic *karag (“anxious; sad”), from Proto-Germanic *karō + *-gaz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵeh₂r- (“exclamation; voice”) + *-kos (suffix forming adjectives with the meaning ‘pertaining to; typical of’)); analysable as care + -y.
The English word is cognate with Danish karrig (“miserly, stingy”), Dutch karig (“austere, scant, sparing”), Norwegian karrig (“barren; meagre; poor”), Old High German charag, karag (“sparing”) (modern German karg (“barren; meagre, poor”)), Old Saxon carag, karag, Swedish karg (“austere; barren; hungry; needy, poor”). See further at care.

Scrabble Score: 13

chary: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
chary: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
chary: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 12

chary: valid Words With Friends Word