Word Study
leery
OXFORD DICTIONARY
leery, adj. (leerier, leeriest) sl.
1 knowing, sly.
2 (foll. by of) wary.
1 knowing, sly.
2 (foll. by of) wary.
Derivative
leeriness n.
Etymology
perh. f. obs. leer looking askance f. LEER(1) + -Y(1)
THESAURUS
leery
Pyrrhonic, agnostic, cagey, careful, cautious, chary, disinclined to believe, disposed to doubt, distrustful, doubtful, doubting, dubious, from Missouri, guarded, hard of belief, impervious to persuasion, in doubt, inconvincible, incredulous, mistrustful, mistrusting, questioning, sceptical, scrupulous, shy, shy of belief, skeptical, suspecting, suspicious, uncertain, unconvincible, uncredulous, unpersuadable, unpersuasible, untrusting, unwilling to accept, waryROGET THESAURUS
leery
Cunning
N cunning, craft, cunningness, craftiness, subtlety, artificiality, maneuvering, temporization, circumvention, chicane, chicanery, sharp practice, knavery, jugglery, concealment, guile, doubling, duplicity, foul play, diplomacy, politics, Machiavelism, jobbery, backstairs influence, art, artifice, device, machination, plot, maneuver, stratagem, dodge, sidestep, artful dodge, wile, trick, trickery, ruse, ruse de guerre, finesse, side blow, thin end of the wedge, shift, go by, subterfuge, evasion, white lie, juggle, tour de force, tricks of the trade, tricks upon travelers, espieglerie, net, trap, Ulysses, Machiavel, sly boots, fox, reynard, Scotchman, Jew, Yankee, intriguer, intrigant, floater, Indian giver, keener, repeater, cunning, crafty, artful, skillful, subtle, feline, vulpine, cunning as a fox, cunning as a serpent, deep, deep laid, profound, designing, contriving, intriguing, strategic, diplomatic, politic, Machiavelian, timeserving, artificial, tricky, tricksy, wily, sly, slim, insidious, stealthy, underhand, subdolous, deceitful, slippery as an eel, evasive, crooked, arch, pawky, shrewd, acute, sharp, sharp as a tack, sharp as a needle, canny, astute, leery, knowing, up to snuff, too clever by half, not to be caught with chaff, tactful, diplomatic, politic, polite, cunningly, slyly, slily, on the sly, by a side wind, diamond cut diamond, a' bis ou a blanc, fin contre fin, something is rotten in the state of Denmark.For further exploring for "leery" in Webster Dictionary Online