Meaning & use
unwary
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Meanings
adjectivenot comparableformal
Not careful about possible dangers or tricks, so easily harmed or deceived.
Grammar: Describes a person or group; it does not usually come before a noun in everyday speech except in the set phrase "the unwary."
Patterns
- the unwary
- unwary + noun
- be unwary of something
Tourists can be unwary and fall for the oldest scams in the city.
The sign warns the unwary that the path ends at a steep cliff.
Even an unwary buyer should check the contract before signing.
nounpluralformal
People who are not careful and are therefore easy to trick or harm.
Grammar: Used with "the" as a plural noun: the unwary means all such people; it has no singular form.
Patterns
- the unwary
The offer was designed to trap the unwary.
Cheap imitations are sold to the unwary at the market.
He wrote a guide warning the unwary against online fraud.
Common combinations
- trap the unwary
- Fake charities often trap the unwary during the holidays.
- warn the unwary
- A small notice warns the unwary about the deep water.
- the unwary traveler
- The unwary traveler may pay far too much for a simple taxi ride.
- catch the unwary
- Sudden price rises catch the unwary every year.
- prey on the unwary
- Scammers prey on the unwary with promises of quick money.
Synonyms and how they differ
- careless
- Careless is more general and can mean simply not paying attention, while unwary stresses being open to danger or trickery.
- naive
- Naive suggests a lack of experience or judgment, whereas unwary focuses on not being alert to a specific risk.
- off-guard
- Off-guard means not prepared at a particular moment; unwary describes a more lasting habit of not being cautious.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: unwary or unaware?
unwary vs unaware
Unaware means simply not knowing about something, while unwary means not being careful about danger. You can be aware of a risk and still be unwary.
Practice
Which sentence uses "unwary" correctly?
Choose one answer.
"Unwary" describes someone who is not careful about danger, so it fits hikers who ignore a warning. Option 2 confuses it with "unaware" (not knowing); option 3 confuses it with "weary" (tired); option 4 wrongly uses it as a noun without "the".
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “unwary”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.