"leery" meaning in English

See leery in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adjective

IPA: /ˈlɪəɹ.i/ Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-leery.wav Forms: leerier [comparative], leeriest [superlative]
Rhymes: -ɪəɹi Etymology: 1718, “untrustful, suspicious”, either from leer (“sideward look”) + -y, lear (“learning, knowledge”) + -y. More at leer, lear. Etymology templates: {{suf|en|leer|y|id2=adjectival|t1=sideward look}} leer (“sideward look”) + -y, {{suf|en|lear|y|id2=adjectival|t1=learning, knowledge}} lear (“learning, knowledge”) + -y Head templates: {{en-adj|er}} leery (comparative leerier, superlative leeriest)
  1. Cautious, suspicious, wary, hesitant, or nervous about something; having reservations or concerns. Translations (Cautious, hesitant, or nervous about something; having reservations or concerns): подозрителен (podozritelen) (Bulgarian), предпазлив (predpazliv) (Bulgarian), nedůvěřivý (Czech), opatrný (Czech), argwaanend (Dutch), wantrouwend (Dutch), argwöhnisch (German), podejrzliwy (Polish), precaut [masculine] (Romanian), suspicios [masculine] (Romanian), ezitant [masculine] (Romanian), îngrijorat [masculine] (Romanian), осмотрительный (osmotritelʹnyj) [masculine] (Russian), receloso (Spanish), desconfiado (Spanish), cauteloso (Spanish)
    Sense id: en-leery-en-adj-WzO6UWKN Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English terms suffixed with -y (adjectival), Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Bulgarian translations, Terms with Czech translations, Terms with Dutch translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Polish translations, Terms with Romanian translations, Terms with Russian translations, Terms with Spanish translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 96 4 Disambiguation of English terms suffixed with -y (adjectival): 96 4 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 100 0 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 100 0 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 100 0 Disambiguation of Terms with Bulgarian translations: 94 6 Disambiguation of Terms with Czech translations: 94 6 Disambiguation of Terms with Dutch translations: 100 0 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 93 7 Disambiguation of Terms with Polish translations: 94 6 Disambiguation of Terms with Romanian translations: 94 6 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 100 0 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 100 0 Disambiguation of 'Cautious, hesitant, or nervous about something; having reservations or concerns': 100 0
  2. (of a look or smile) Lecherous.
    Sense id: en-leery-en-adj-MILIV5OX
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: leerily, leeriness, unleery

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "leerily"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "leeriness"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "unleery"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "leer",
        "3": "y",
        "id2": "adjectival",
        "t1": "sideward look"
      },
      "expansion": "leer (“sideward look”) + -y",
      "name": "suf"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "lear",
        "3": "y",
        "id2": "adjectival",
        "t1": "learning, knowledge"
      },
      "expansion": "lear (“learning, knowledge”) + -y",
      "name": "suf"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "1718, “untrustful, suspicious”, either from leer (“sideward look”) + -y, lear (“learning, knowledge”) + -y. More at leer, lear.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "leerier",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "leeriest",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "er"
      },
      "expansion": "leery (comparative leerier, superlative leeriest)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "96 4",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "96 4",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms suffixed with -y (adjectival)",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "100 0",
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          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
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          "_dis": "100 0",
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          "_dis": "94 6",
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          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "94 6",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Czech translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "100 0",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Dutch translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "93 7",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with German translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "94 6",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Polish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "94 6",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Romanian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "100 0",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Russian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "100 0",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Spanish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Since he was bitten by a dog when he was young, he has always been leery of animals.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1913 October, Jack London, chapter X, in The Valley of the Moon, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company, →OCLC:",
          "text": "“[…]He was one of their top gun-fighters—always up to his ears in the thick of any fightin' that was goin' on. He never was leery of anything on two feet, I'll say that much for'm.”",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1920, Sinclair Lewis, chapter XIV, in Main Street: The Story of Carol Kennicott, New York, N.Y.: Harcourt, Brace and Howe, →OCLC:",
          "text": "“He's so darn afraid you'll be offended if he smokes. You scare him. Every time he speaks of the weather you jump him because he ain't talking about poetry or Gertie—Goethe?—or some other highbrow junk. You've got him so leery he scarcely dares to come here.”",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Cautious, suspicious, wary, hesitant, or nervous about something; having reservations or concerns."
      ],
      "id": "en-leery-en-adj-WzO6UWKN",
      "links": [
        [
          "Cautious",
          "cautious"
        ],
        [
          "suspicious",
          "suspicious"
        ],
        [
          "wary",
          "wary"
        ],
        [
          "hesitant",
          "hesitant"
        ],
        [
          "nervous",
          "nervous"
        ],
        [
          "reservations",
          "reservations"
        ],
        [
          "concern",
          "concern"
        ]
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "podozritelen",
          "sense": "Cautious, hesitant, or nervous about something; having reservations or concerns",
          "word": "подозрителен"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "predpazliv",
          "sense": "Cautious, hesitant, or nervous about something; having reservations or concerns",
          "word": "предпазлив"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0",
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "Cautious, hesitant, or nervous about something; having reservations or concerns",
          "word": "nedůvěřivý"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0",
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "Cautious, hesitant, or nervous about something; having reservations or concerns",
          "word": "opatrný"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "Cautious, hesitant, or nervous about something; having reservations or concerns",
          "word": "argwaanend"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "Cautious, hesitant, or nervous about something; having reservations or concerns",
          "word": "wantrouwend"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "Cautious, hesitant, or nervous about something; having reservations or concerns",
          "word": "argwöhnisch"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "Cautious, hesitant, or nervous about something; having reservations or concerns",
          "word": "podejrzliwy"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "Cautious, hesitant, or nervous about something; having reservations or concerns",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "precaut"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "Cautious, hesitant, or nervous about something; having reservations or concerns",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "suspicios"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "Cautious, hesitant, or nervous about something; having reservations or concerns",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "ezitant"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "Cautious, hesitant, or nervous about something; having reservations or concerns",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "îngrijorat"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "osmotritelʹnyj",
          "sense": "Cautious, hesitant, or nervous about something; having reservations or concerns",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "осмотрительный"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "Cautious, hesitant, or nervous about something; having reservations or concerns",
          "word": "receloso"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "Cautious, hesitant, or nervous about something; having reservations or concerns",
          "word": "desconfiado"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "Cautious, hesitant, or nervous about something; having reservations or concerns",
          "word": "cauteloso"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1902, Francis Hopkinson Smith, chapter X, in The Fortunes of Oliver Horn:",
          "text": "And there was a particularly brutal villain with leery eyes, ugly mouth, with one tooth gone, and an iron jaw like a hull-dog's.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Lecherous."
      ],
      "id": "en-leery-en-adj-MILIV5OX",
      "links": [
        [
          "Lecherous",
          "lecherous"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(of a look or smile) Lecherous."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "of a look or smile"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈlɪəɹ.i/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-leery.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/2/25/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-leery.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-leery.wav.mp3",
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    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɪəɹi"
    }
  ],
  "word": "leery"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English adjectives",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English terms suffixed with -y (adjectival)",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:English/ɪəɹi",
    "Rhymes:English/ɪəɹi/2 syllables",
    "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
    "Terms with Czech translations",
    "Terms with Dutch translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Polish translations",
    "Terms with Romanian translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations",
    "Terms with Spanish translations"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "leerily"
    },
    {
      "word": "leeriness"
    },
    {
      "word": "unleery"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "leer",
        "3": "y",
        "id2": "adjectival",
        "t1": "sideward look"
      },
      "expansion": "leer (“sideward look”) + -y",
      "name": "suf"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "lear",
        "3": "y",
        "id2": "adjectival",
        "t1": "learning, knowledge"
      },
      "expansion": "lear (“learning, knowledge”) + -y",
      "name": "suf"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "1718, “untrustful, suspicious”, either from leer (“sideward look”) + -y, lear (“learning, knowledge”) + -y. More at leer, lear.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "leerier",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "leeriest",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "er"
      },
      "expansion": "leery (comparative leerier, superlative leeriest)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Since he was bitten by a dog when he was young, he has always been leery of animals.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1913 October, Jack London, chapter X, in The Valley of the Moon, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company, →OCLC:",
          "text": "“[…]He was one of their top gun-fighters—always up to his ears in the thick of any fightin' that was goin' on. He never was leery of anything on two feet, I'll say that much for'm.”",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1920, Sinclair Lewis, chapter XIV, in Main Street: The Story of Carol Kennicott, New York, N.Y.: Harcourt, Brace and Howe, →OCLC:",
          "text": "“He's so darn afraid you'll be offended if he smokes. You scare him. Every time he speaks of the weather you jump him because he ain't talking about poetry or Gertie—Goethe?—or some other highbrow junk. You've got him so leery he scarcely dares to come here.”",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Cautious, suspicious, wary, hesitant, or nervous about something; having reservations or concerns."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Cautious",
          "cautious"
        ],
        [
          "suspicious",
          "suspicious"
        ],
        [
          "wary",
          "wary"
        ],
        [
          "hesitant",
          "hesitant"
        ],
        [
          "nervous",
          "nervous"
        ],
        [
          "reservations",
          "reservations"
        ],
        [
          "concern",
          "concern"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
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      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1902, Francis Hopkinson Smith, chapter X, in The Fortunes of Oliver Horn:",
          "text": "And there was a particularly brutal villain with leery eyes, ugly mouth, with one tooth gone, and an iron jaw like a hull-dog's.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Lecherous."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Lecherous",
          "lecherous"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(of a look or smile) Lecherous."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "of a look or smile"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈlɪəɹ.i/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-leery.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/2/25/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-leery.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-leery.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/2/25/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-leery.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-leery.wav.ogg"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɪəɹi"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "podozritelen",
      "sense": "Cautious, hesitant, or nervous about something; having reservations or concerns",
      "word": "подозрителен"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "predpazliv",
      "sense": "Cautious, hesitant, or nervous about something; having reservations or concerns",
      "word": "предпазлив"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "Cautious, hesitant, or nervous about something; having reservations or concerns",
      "word": "nedůvěřivý"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "Cautious, hesitant, or nervous about something; having reservations or concerns",
      "word": "opatrný"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "Cautious, hesitant, or nervous about something; having reservations or concerns",
      "word": "argwaanend"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "Cautious, hesitant, or nervous about something; having reservations or concerns",
      "word": "wantrouwend"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "Cautious, hesitant, or nervous about something; having reservations or concerns",
      "word": "argwöhnisch"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "Cautious, hesitant, or nervous about something; having reservations or concerns",
      "word": "podejrzliwy"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "Cautious, hesitant, or nervous about something; having reservations or concerns",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "precaut"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "Cautious, hesitant, or nervous about something; having reservations or concerns",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "suspicios"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "Cautious, hesitant, or nervous about something; having reservations or concerns",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "ezitant"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "Cautious, hesitant, or nervous about something; having reservations or concerns",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "îngrijorat"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "osmotritelʹnyj",
      "sense": "Cautious, hesitant, or nervous about something; having reservations or concerns",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "осмотрительный"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "Cautious, hesitant, or nervous about something; having reservations or concerns",
      "word": "receloso"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "Cautious, hesitant, or nervous about something; having reservations or concerns",
      "word": "desconfiado"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "Cautious, hesitant, or nervous about something; having reservations or concerns",
      "word": "cauteloso"
    }
  ],
  "word": "leery"
}

Download raw JSONL data for leery meaning in English (6.1kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-01-18 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-01-01 using wiktextract (e4a2c88 and 4230888). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

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