chary

English

Etymology

From Middle English, from Old English ċeariġ (“careful, sorrowful, pensive, wary, chary, anxious, grievous, dire”), from Proto-Germanic *karagaz (“anxious, sad”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵār- (“voice, exclamation”), equivalent to care +‎ -y. Cognate with Dutch karig (“scant, sparing, austere”), German karg (“meagre, barren, poor”) and Norwegian karrig (“meagre, barren, poor”). More at care.

Pronunciation

• (RP) IPA: /ˈtʃɛəɹi/
• (GenAm) IPA: /ˈtʃɛɹi/
• Rhymes: -ɛəɹi
• Homophone: cherry (one pronunciation)

Adjective

chary (comparative charier, superlative chariest)

1. (obsolete) Sad; sorrowful; grievous.
2. Disposed to cherish with care; careful.
3. Cautious; wary; shy.
   • 1594, William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark act 1 scene 3 lines 35-36

     The chariest maid is prodigal enough / If she unmasks her beauty to the moon.

   • 1598, Shakespeare, Sonnet number 22 lines 11-12

     Bearing thy heart, which I will keep so chary / As tender nurse her babe from faring ill

   • 2007, Stephen R. Donaldson, Fatal Revenant, ISBN 978-0-399-15446-1 Page 182

     "...When Lord Berek speaks with you and your companions alone, as he must, be chary in your replies."

4. Sparing; not lavish; not disposed to give freely; frugal; ungenerous.

   I am chary of giving him too many compliments and favours.

Translations

sad, grievous

• Bulgarian: тъжен (bg) (tǎžen)

• Dutch: triest (nl), bedroefd (nl), droevig (nl)

cautious, wary, shy, ungenerous

• Bulgarian: предпазлив (bg) (predpazliv), сдържан (bg) (sdǎržan)
• Dutch: voorzichtig (nl), schuw (nl), preuts (nl), karig (nl)

• Norwegian: forsiktig (no), varsom (no)