chary
adjective

- discreetly cautious

- careful, cautious, circumspect

- uncertain and frightened to take risks, or unwilling to take action

Merriam-Webster, Oxford English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary,

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WORD ORIGIN

The word "chary" comes from Old English cearig, which meant "sorrowful" or "anxious." This Old English term derived from cearu, meaning "care" or "concern. Over time, the meaning evolved. By Middle English, the word had shifted to mean "careful" or "cautious," particularly in the sense of being careful because of concern or anxiety about potential risks.

By the 16th century, the modern sense of "chary" had emerged, meaning "hesitant," "wary," or "cautious" - especially in the context of being reluctant to give, trust, or act due to caution or suspicion.

The semantic shift from "sorrowful" to "cautious" reflects a natural progression: anxiety or concern (the original meaning) naturally leads to careful behaviour or reluctance (the modern meaning).

Today, "chary" is somewhat literary or formal, often appearing in phrases like "chary of" or "chary about" to indicate a cautious or hesitant attitude toward something. For example, one might be "chary of making commitments" or "chary about sharing personal information."

Cognates of chary appear in various Germanic languages, such as Danish (karrig), Dutch (karig), and German (karg), all carrying meanings related to austerity or meagerness.

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SYNONYMS

agog, alert, attentive, beady-eyed, better safe than sorry, cagey, careful, cautious, CHARY, circumspect, coy, distrustful, doubting, foresighted, forethoughtful, gingerly, guarded, gun-shy, heedful, hesitant, hypercautious, judicious, keeping a weather eye on things (on one’s toes, one’s eyes open/skinned), leery (of), levelheaded, loath (to do s/th), mistrustful, on alert, on eggshells (guard, one's toes, the lookout, on the qui vive, on tiptoe), prudent, restrained, reticent, risk-averse, shy, squeamish, suspecting, suspicious, tentative, timid, tiptoe through the tulips, treading carefully (lightly), ultracareful, ultracautious, uneager, upon one’s guard, vigilant, walking on eggshells, wary, watchful, watching one’s step (out), well-judged, well-thought-out, wide-awake, with eyes like a hawk (kid gloves, one’s eyes open, weather eye open)

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SMUGGLE OWAD into an English conversation, say something like:

“I tend to be CHARY about giving negative feedback before knowing the underlying motivation.”

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