Word: leery (adjective)

Associations

The word "leery" means feeling cautious or suspicious about something or someone. When you are leery, you do not fully trust the situation or person and are careful because you think there might be danger or a problem.

• Example 1: She was leery of accepting the job offer because the company had a bad reputation. (She was cautious and unsure if it was a good choice.)
• Example 2: I'm leery about lending him money since he hasn't paid me back before. (She feels suspicious and careful about lending money.)
• Example 3: They were leery of walking alone in the dark street. (They felt cautious and worried about safety.)

A well-known synonym is "wary." Both mean being cautious or careful, but "leery" often suggests a stronger feeling of suspicion or distrust, while "wary" can be more general caution without strong distrust.

Substitution

You can replace "leery" with:

• cautious (more general, less suspicion)
• wary (similar meaning, careful and alert)
• suspicious (stronger, more distrustful)
• doubtful (less about danger, more about uncertainty)

Changing the word changes the feeling: "cautious" is careful but neutral, "suspicious" means you expect something bad, and "doubtful" means unsure.

Deconstruction

"Leery" comes from old English roots related to "leer," which means to look sideways with suspicion or mistrust. The word itself does not have a prefix or suffix; it is a simple adjective.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a time when you felt leery about something? What made you feel that way?
• How would you behave differently if you were leery compared to just being careful?
• In what situations is it good to be leery, and when could it be a problem?