LEERY (leerier, leeriest)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected forms: leerier    , leeriest   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does leery mean? 

• LEERY (adjective)
  The adjective LEERY has 1 sense:

1. openly distrustful and unwilling to confide

  Familiarity information: LEERY used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• LEERY (adjective)

Comparative: leerier   
Superlative: leeriest   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Openly distrustful and unwilling to confide

Synonyms:

leery; mistrustful; suspicious; untrusting; wary

Similar:

distrustful (having or showing distrust)

Derivation:

leer (a facial expression of contempt or scorn; the upper lip curls)

 Context examples 

That little cove with the leery face is Caleb Baldwin the Coster, ’im that they call the Pride of Westminster. ’E’s but five foot seven, and nine stone five, but ’e’s got the ’eart of a giant. ’E’s never been beat, and there ain’t a man within a stone of ’im that could beat ’im, except only Dutch Sam. There’s George Maddox, too, another o’ the same breed, and as good a man as ever pulled his coat off.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)