beware

verb

be·​ware bi-ˈwer How to pronounce beware (audio)
bē-

intransitive verb

: to be on one's guard
beware of the dog

transitive verb

1
: to take care of
beware your wallet
2
: to be wary of
we must … beware the exceedingly tenuous generalizationMatthew Lipman

Examples of beware in a Sentence

A ghostly voice cried “Beware!”. He told them to beware. The restaurant's food is excellent, but beware the chili if you don't like spicy food.
Recent Examples on the Web All snowfall is expected to turn into a cold drizzle by the evening, but after temperatures drop overnight, beware slick roads where Friday night's rain turns into Saturday morning's ice. Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 12 Jan. 2024 The famous Road to Hana is gorgeous, but beware that the hairpin turns may turn carsick-prone kids' stomachs. Genevieve Ko, Travel + Leisure, 31 Jan. 2024 But Black Friday shoppers, beware: Gift prices are climbing. Elizabeth Napolitano, CBS News, 24 Nov. 2023 Consumers should beware of online retailers selling copycat products and should buy eye products only from reputable retailers such as licensed pharmacies. Mira Cheng, CNN, 31 Jan. 2024 But beware the Spartans at The Event Center, always a weird place to play with its sparse crowds. Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Jan. 2024 Pruning your rose is a definite plus, but beware the point of no return. Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Jan. 2024 Crime and courts Traffic scofflaws beware: Speed cameras will go up next year in Los Angeles, Glendale, Long Beach. Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 30 Dec. 2023 Also beware of letting your regular one-on-ones digress into big-picture career discussions or long-range planning sessions. Bruce Tulgan, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'beware.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English been war, from been "to be" + war "cognizant, ware entry 1"

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of beware was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near beware

Cite this Entry

“Beware.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beware. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

beware

verb
be·​ware bi-ˈwa(ə)r How to pronounce beware (audio)
-ˈwe(ə)r
1
: to be on one's guard
beware of the dog
2
: to be suspicious of
beware the quick excuse

More from Merriam-Webster on beware

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