chary

Even if she wanted to pursue an exemption, the Lord Advocate would be chary of inciting the home secretary's ire.

From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2025

Beautiful is a strong word, and artists, critics and scholars are chary of it.

From Washington Post ● Nov. 3, 2021

He looks chary, and I know perfectly well why.

From The Guardian ● Apr. 21, 2019

But his personal experience made him chary, too.

From The New Yorker ● Dec. 31, 2018

County police and country editors must be chary of accepting the evidence of James Walkers and Tom Blands against the guarantee of such a man, or they may get their corns trodden on most painfully!

From The House 'Round the Corner by Louis Tracy

He belonged to the new scientific school which studies and co-relates, but is chary of affirmations, and charier still of denials.

From The Side Of The Angels A Novel by Basil King

I have grown charier of the word ‘impossible’ now.

From The Daughters of Danaus by Mona Caird

She was more and more masterful, quicker with her orders, charier of her smiles, shorter of speech and temper.

From Hidden Creek by Katharine Newlin Burt

While Rasselwitz grew continually sulkier and charier of his words, and at last became downright sleepy, Tausdorf's spirits were more and more awakened and joyful.

From Specimens of German Romance Vol. I. The Patricians by Carl Franz van der Velde

“An I had thought ye were so angry I would ’a’ been charier of crossing you. 

From The Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson

The chariest maid is prodigal enough, If she unmask her beauty to the moon: Virtue itself 'scapes not calumnious strokes.

From Characteristics of Women Moral, Poetical, and Historical by Mrs. (Anna) Jameson

Shall we not revise Shakespeare: The chariest maid is prodigal enough If she unmask her beauty on the Boul.

From The So-called Human Race by Bert Leston Taylor