different between chary vs discreet

English

Etymology

From Middle English chari, charre, charri, chary, Early Middle English cearig, chari? (“concerned with, diligent; sad, sorrowful; of a person: cherished, loved”), from Old English ?eari? (“careful; pensive; chary, wary; anxious, sad, sorrowful; dire, grievous”), from Proto-West Germanic *karag (“anxious; sad”), from Proto-Germanic *kar? + *-gaz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *?eh?r- (“exclamation; voice”) + *-kos (suffix forming adjectives with the meaning ‘pertaining to; typical of’)); analysable as care +? -y.

The English word is cognate with Danish karrig (“miserly, stingy”), Dutch karig (“austere, scant, sparing”), Norwegian karrig (“barren; meagre; poor”), Old High German charag, karag (“sparing”) (modern German karg (“barren; meagre, poor”)), Old Saxon carag, karag, Swedish karg (“austere; barren; hungry; needy, poor”). See further at care.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?t????i/
• (General American, Mary–marry–merry distinction) IPA^(key): /?t????i/
• (General American, Mary–marry–merry merger) IPA^(key): /?t???i/
• Rhymes: -???i
• Homophone: cherry (in accents with the Mary-marry-merry merger)
• Hyphenation: cha?ry

Adjective

chary (comparative charier, superlative chariest)

1. Careful, cautious, shy, wary.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:cautious

   Antonyms: unchary; see also Thesaurus:careless
2. Excessively particular or fussy about details; fastidious.

   Antonym: unchary
3. Not disposed to give freely; not lavish; frugal, sparing.

   Antonym: unchary
4. (obsolete) Cared for, regarded as precious; cherished.

   Antonym: unchary

Derived terms

Translations

Adverb

chary (comparative more chary, superlative most chary)

1. Synonym of charily: carefully, cautiously, warily.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:cautiously

   Antonyms: carelessly, incautiously, uncarefully, uncautiously, unwarily

References

Anagrams

• -archy, archy

English

Etymology

From Middle English discrete, from Old French discret, from Latin discr?tus, from past participle of discernere. Doublet of discrete.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d??sk?i?t/
• Rhymes: -i?t
• Homophone: discrete (separable into parts)

Adjective

discreet (comparative more discreet or discreeter, superlative most discreet or discreetest)

1. Respectful of privacy or secrecy; exercising caution in order to avoid causing embarrassment; quiet; diplomatic.

   With a discreet gesture, she reminded him to mind his manners.

   John just doesn't understand that laughing at Mary all day is not very discreet.

2. Not drawing attention, anger or challenge; inconspicuous.

Usage notes

• Although cognate and identical in the Middle English period, the term has become distinct from discrete.

Derived terms

• discreetly
• discretion

Translations

Anagrams

• desertic, discrete

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch discreet, from Old French discret, from Medieval Latin discr?tus, from discern?.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d?s?kre?t/
• Hyphenation: dis?creet
• Rhymes: -e?t

Adjective

discreet (comparative discreter, superlative discreetst)

1. discreet (with discretion)
2. discrete (not continuous)

Inflection

Derived terms

• discretie