beware

verb

be·​ware bi-ˈwer 

bē-

intransitive

: to be on one's guard

beware of the dog

transitive

1

: to take care of

beware your wallet

2

: to be wary of

We must … beware the exceedingly tenuous generalization …

—Matthew Lipman

Synonyms of beware

• guard (against)
• watch out (for)
• notice
• look 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

Just beware that some of the seats might have an obstructed view. — Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 17 June 2026

You may be tempted to make your way down to the beach at the bottom, but beware! — Robert Annis, Midwest Living, 21 June 2026

Also beware of high-calorie mixers. — Teresa Mull, FOXNews.com, 6 June 2026

July 3 could bring shocks or surprises; just beware of being too risky or impulsive. — Kyle Thomas, PEOPLE, 28 June 2026

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

Rhymes for beware

• abwehr
• affair
• affaire
• airfare
• altair
• armchair
• aware
• bugbear
• carfare
• childcare
• compare
• cookware

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