If you are wary, you are being careful because you think something might be dangerous, or might cheat you, or might simply not work out. It is not the same as frightened. A wary person is not running away — they are watching, going slowly, keeping a little distance, ready in case something goes wrong. Think of how you walk near a dog you do not know. Grammar is where students slip, so hold onto these three patterns: - wary **of** + noun or -ing: "wary of strangers", "wary of spending too much" - wary **about** + noun: "wary about the plan" (very close in meaning to "of") - **be wary** on its own: "Investors remain wary." It is a slightly formal word, more common in writing and news than in daily chat. In business and politics reporting it is everywhere: "markets were wary", "the government is wary of promising too much". Friends talking would more likely say "careful" or "not sure about". One small thing that helps: wary is usually about a judgement you have made — you have a reason for your caution, even a vague one. That reason-shaped feeling is what separates it from nervous, which can be about nothing at all. The noun is wariness; the adverb is warily ("she moved warily towards the door").