unwary

adjective

un·​wary ˌən-ˈwer-ē How to pronounce unwary (audio)
: not alert : easily fooled or surprised : heedless, gullible
cheats unwary tourists
unwarily adverb
unwariness noun

Examples of unwary in a Sentence

The fast-moving tide sometimes surprises unwary swimmers. e-mail scams that take advantage of unwary recipients
Recent Examples on the Web To joke about faking the moon landing while faking romance is a twisted attempt at keeping us gullible and unwary. Armond White, National Review, 17 July 2024 Unless accelerated by a tanning bed, skin damage can take years, if not decades to develop, experts say, leaving today’s unwary youth at risk for early skin aging and lethal skin cancers such as melanoma. Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 21 June 2024 That gave the attacker the chance to launch a surprise attack against an unwary Mach. Ellen Moynihan, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2024 The result is a dizzying mix of subtle feints, playful conjectures, and strategic silences, far less revolutionary than promised, yet strewn with snares for inexpert and unwary readers. Walter Scheidel, Foreign Affairs, 19 Apr. 2022 See all Example Sentences for unwary 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unwary.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unwary was in 1579

Dictionary Entries Near unwary

Cite this Entry

“Unwary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unwary. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

unwary

adjective
un·​wary ˌən-ˈwa(ə)r-ē How to pronounce unwary (audio)
-ˈwe(ə)r-,
ˈən-
: not alert : easily fooled or surprised : heedless, gullible
the unwary buyer
unwarily
-ˈwar-ə-lē How to pronounce unwary (audio)
-ˈwer-
adverb
unwariness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on unwary

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