beware

verb

be·​ware bi-ˈwer 

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 generalization

—Matthew Lipman

Synonyms

• guard (against)
• look out (for)
• mind
• ware
• watch out (for)

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

Phoenix-area drivers beware: Interstate 10 and U.S. 60 are among the freeways with closures this rainy weekend. —The Arizona Republic, 12 June 2024

Cross-country ski and snowshoe 15 to 20 miles of routes in the region—but beware that no trails are groomed or marked. —Kayla Brock, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 May 2023

Foreign governments should beware of counterproductive forms of international pressure. —Jessica Chen Weiss, Foreign Affairs, 16 July 2020

Bertolucci fans beware: The director comes across here as a pompous and careless prima donna. —Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019

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

Kids Definition

beware

verb

be·​ware bi-ˈwa(ə)r 

-ˈwe(ə)r

1

: to be on one's guard

beware of the dog

2

: to be suspicious of

beware the quick excuse