Weary vs. Wary – What’s the Gist?
Although these two adjectives share similar spellings, their pronunciations have subtle nuances that actually make them sound different
These differences are not only very subtle but also a bit counter intuitive based on their respective spellings.
- Weary acts as an adjective or a verb.
- Wary is simply an adjective.
How to Use Weary in a Sentence
Weary definition: As a modifier, weary means to be depleted in strength, endurance, vigor or even in freshness. The word also expresses the characteristic of weariness or the exhausting of one’s patience or pleasure.
For example:
- Because he had been up all night comforting the ill child, the weary father slumped in the chair. (Adjective)
- The toddler’s bib had a wearied look after the lunch was over. (Participle)
- Frustrated by their wearying questions, the teacher left the room. (Participle)
By the way, a participle is a verbal that has an –ed or -ing ending and serves as an adjective. In the two examples above, wearied is an adjective that answers which look, and the word wearying modifies questions, describing which questions.
Additionally, the word weary has a similar meaning as the verb: to become weary (intransitive) or make weary (transitive).
For example:
- Running along the beach, the marathoner wearies of the race. (Present Tense Verb)
- The young boy wearied his mother by getting into all kinds of things. (Past Tense Verb)
To recap, weary functions as two different parts of speech, both as an adjective and as a verb.
How to Use Wary in a Sentence
Wary definition: Wary functions as an adjective, meaning careful or aware, or is marked by acute caution or watchful prudence in realizing or escaping danger.
For example:
- Cognizant of the speeding car in the neighborhood, the wary mother scanned the front yard for her children. (Adjective)
- Wary of being caught, the dog slunk behind the dumpster. (Adjective)
Wary is sometimes misused for the word weary, but the two are not interchangeable.
Outside Examples of Weary vs. Wary
- Sitting at a desk—or in meetings—can contribute to us feeling drained. By contrast, for many people, going for a walk re-energizes our weary bodies and gets our creative synapses pinging. –The Wall Street Journal
- This weary anxiety is in part a feature of geography. Democrats may be racking up wins in elections in the cities and inner suburbs, but their fortunes have been less bright farther afield. –The New York Times
- Still, the mixed messages have made some elected officials and homeless advocates wary of the federal government’s overtures to Garcetti and Los Angeles. –The LA Times
- Large hospitals across Hubei were subsumed by the virus and had little capacity to handle special pediatric cases, they said. Authorities were offering to issue a special travel permit to leave the otherwise locked-down province, but hospitals in neighboring Hunan were wary of accepting patients from Hubei because they are seen as more likely to carry the virus. –The Washington Post
Phrases That Use Weary and Wary
There are some idioms and phrases that use the word weary or wary, including:
Bone weary: A feeling of exhaustion that is felt deeply and internally.
- After working and going to school all day and taking care of the house and family at night, the man became bone-weary tired.
No rest for the weary: The work continues past the point of exhaustion.
- Trying to get their house on the market meant that there was no rest for the weary homeowners.
Wary expression: The facial expression reflects one of extreme caution.
- The police officer had a wary expression on his face as his eyes scanned the restless crowd.
Feeling wary: The watchful attitude one has in an uncomfortable or unfamiliar surroundings.
- The ride-sharing driver started feeling wary when maneuvering in a dark and unfamiliar place.
How to Remember These Words
Even though these words are both adjectives, their denotations preclude them from being synonyms or interchangeable. As mentioned earlier, there seems to be an occasional substitution of weary for wary, but that is incorrect.
The two words don’t have a lot in common. One means extreme tiredness and the other means excessive cautiousness. Perhaps breaking down each word will help you remember the difference.
When someone is weary, the person could say that someone wears them out—both weary and wears share the same first four letters: w e a r. On the other hand, in warfare, a person is likely trying to escape danger. The first three letters in both wary and warfare are w a r.
For example:
- His constant nagging wears the weary mother.
- When in war, be wary.
How to Pronouns Weary and Wary
Weary is pronounced \wir ē\ and uses the short i sound; while, wary is spoken \wer ē\ and takes the short e sound.
However, when speaking, your diction could make difference in what your listeners think you’ve said.
Article Summary
Is weary or wary correct? When looking for a modifier, it depends on what you are describing. Do you need an adjective that reflects excessive fatigue? If so, pick weary. If you need a word that expresses watchful prudence, choose wary.
Not only that, if you need a verb, weary is the one you want. There is no verb form for wary.
- Weary functions as two different parts of speech: an adjective and a verb.
- Wary is an adjective only.