vary
Americanverb (used with object)
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to change or alter, as in form, appearance, character, or substance.
to vary one's methods.
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to cause to be different from something else.
The orchestra varied last night's program with one new selection.
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to avoid or relieve from uniformity or monotony; diversify.
to vary one's diet.
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Music. to alter (a melody or theme) by modification or embellishments without changing its identity.
verb (used without object)
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to show diversity; be different.
The age at which children are ready to read varies.
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to undergo change in appearance, form, substance, character, etc..
The landscape begins to vary as one drives south.
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to change periodically or in succession; differ or alternate.
Demand for certain products varies with the season.
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to diverge; depart; deviate (usually followed byfrom ).
to vary from the norm.
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Mathematics. to be subject to change.
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Biology. to exhibit variation.
verb
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to undergo or cause to undergo change, alteration, or modification in appearance, character, form, attribute, etc
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to be different or cause to be different; be subject to change
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(tr) to give variety to
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to differ, as from a convention, standard, etc
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(intr) to change in accordance with another variable
her mood varies with the weather
pressure varies directly with temperature and inversely with volume
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(tr) music to modify (a theme) by the use of variation
Other Word Forms
- intervary verb (used without object)
- overvary verb
- self-varying adjective
- unvarying adjective
- unvaryingly adverb
- varier noun
- varying adjective
- varyingly adverb
Etymology
Origin of vary
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English varien, from Latin variāre, equivalent to vari(us) ( various ) + -āre infinitive suffix
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
With a 10-year HELOC, you are also facing current borrowing costs of roughly 8%, but they vary anywhere between 4.7% to 11.7% depending on the size of the loan and/or the borrower’s credit score.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 6, 2026
Researchers María Dolores Gadea Rivas of the University of Zaragoza, Spain and Jesús Gonzalo of University Carlos III, Spain found that warming patterns vary widely across the country, pointing to the need for location-specific responses.
From Science Daily • Apr. 4, 2026
The consequences of the tariff changes will vary widely depending on the product.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026
Estimates of Musk’s wealth vary, largely depending on how his private companies—which also include Neuralink and the Boring Co.—are valued.
From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026
The way the effect is exerted may vary, but the end result is always the same.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
