unwary

adjective

un·​wary ˌən-ˈwer-ē 

: not alert : easily fooled or surprised : heedless, gullible

cheats unwary tourists

unwarily

ˌən-ˈwer-ə-lē 

adverb

unwariness

ˌən-ˈwer-ē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• aw-shucks
• dewy
• dewy-eyed
• green
• ingenuous
• innocent
• naïf
• naif
• naive
• naïve
• primitive
• simple
• simpleminded
• uncritical
• unknowing
• unsophisticated
• unsuspecting
• unsuspicious
• unworldly
• wide-eyed

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

That’s because the agency’s duty is to stand in the way of businesses desiring to push unsafe and ineffective nostrums at unwary consumers, and also in the way of a perverse idea that personal freedom includes the freedom to be gulled by charlatans. —Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2025

What results from this corporate retrenchment is unknown, but the trends are clear, and the paths forward are strewn with mind fields for the unwary or unprepared business leader. Follow me on LinkedIn. —Timothy J. McClimon, Forbes, 4 Jan. 2025

Employment data bristle with pitfalls for the unwary, even among experienced economists such as Ohanian. —Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 3 Dec. 2024

The result is that fraudsters have rushed into cryptocurrency, exploiting the complexity and hype to dupe the unwary. —Hilary Allen, Foreign Affairs, 5 Apr. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

unwary

adjective

un·​wary ˌən-ˈwa(ə)r-ē 

-ˈwe(ə)r-,

ˈən-

: not alert : easily fooled or surprised : heedless, gullible

the unwary buyer

unwarily

-ˈwar-ə-lē 

-ˈwer-

adverb

unwariness

-ˈwar-ē-nəs 

-ˈwer-

noun