Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
adjective, leer·i·er, leer·i·est.
- wary; suspicious (usually followed by of): I’m leery of his financial advice.
- Archaic. knowing; alert.
adjective, leer·i·er, leer·i·est.
- leer2.
adjective leerier, leeriest, learier or leariest
- mainly dialect knowing or sly
- slang (foll by of) suspicious or wary
- slang rowdy or boisterous
adj.“untrusting, suspicious, alert,” 1718, originally slang, with -y (2), and perhaps from dialectal lere “learning, knowledge” (see lore), or from leer (v.) in some now-obscure sense. OED suggests connection with archaic leer (adj.) “empty, useless,” a general Germanic word (cf. German leer, Dutch laar), of unknown origin.