English word origin

Etymology of leery

First attested in 1718, “untrustful, suspicious”, either from leer (“sideward look”) + -y, lear (“learning, knowledge”) + -y. More at leer, lear.

1 source sectionExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 1 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗

adj

Cautious, suspicious, wary, hesitant, or nervous about something; having reservations or concerns. · Sly; artful; knowing. · Leering; lecherous or unpleasant.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

First attested in 1718, “untrustful, suspicious”, either from leer (“sideward look”) + -y, lear (“learning, knowledge”) + -y. More at leer, lear.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "etydate",
      "args": {
        "1": "1718"
      },
      "expansion": "First attested in 1718"
    },
    {
      "name": "suf",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "leer",
        "3": "y",
        "t1": "sideward look",
        "id2": "adjectival"
      },
      "expansion": "leer (“sideward look”) + -y"
    },
    {
      "name": "suf",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "lear",
        "3": "y",
        "t1": "learning, knowledge",
        "id2": "adjectival"
      },
      "expansion": "lear (“learning, knowledge”) + -y"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "leer",
      "leer#English"
    ],
    [
      "-y",
      "-y#English:_adjectival"
    ],
    [
      "lear",
      "lear#English"
    ],
    [
      "-y",
      "-y#English:_adjectival"
    ],
    [
      "leer",
      "leer#English"
    ],
    [
      "lear",
      "lear#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "adj",
      "glosses": [
        "Cautious, suspicious, wary, hesitant, or nervous about something; having reservations or concerns.",
        "Sly; artful; knowing.",
        "Leering; lecherous or unpleasant."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "UK",
        "obsolete",
        "slang"
      ],
      "recordId": "382abe0bd2d4fe36bf9b6e98f1a093347f43e68341fb74812dc6dc9f6975a18b",
      "rawRecordSha256": "4bc7a204528b93ac2286343efa303f895e3be6026906c704037eb38f5b0cfa80",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 341475
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for leery →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-bGVlcnk