beware

verb be·ware \ bi-ˈwer , bē- \

Updated on: 14 Apr 2018

Definition of beware

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

See beware defined for English-language learners

See beware defined for kids

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 of beware from the Web

Jurgen Klopp has warned his Liverpool stars to beware of the Manchester City 'thunderstorm' ahead of their Champions League quarter final second leg clash.

— SI.com, "Jurgen Klopp Warns Liverpool of Man City 'Thunderstorm' Start Ahead of UCL Return Leg," 10 Apr. 2018
Rufus, with Jiya’s warning to beware on the top of his mind, finds the scarred man and interrogates him along with Flynn.

— rachel kaufman, Smithsonian, "Welcome to Salem, Witches: “Timeless” Season 2, Episode 4, Recapped," 9 Apr. 2018
Portland arts tax scofflaws beware: City tax collectors on Wednesday won the ability to spend more money to go after money-earning adults who don't pay the $35 annual tax.

— gordon r. friedman, OregonLive.com, "Portland City Council axes limit on arts tax overhead spending," 14 Mar. 2018
Remember, as Shakespeare said, beware the ideas of March.

— joseph gerth, The Courier-Journal, "Our Senate leader must have a secret. Why else is he trying to hide his text messages?," 26 Mar. 2018
Bond bulls beware: U.S. Treasury to auction about $294 billion this week.

— andreea papuc, Bloomberg.com, "Five Things You Need to Know to Start Your Day," 25 Mar. 2018
Alameda made 26 of 30 free throws in its regional final, so Crossroads must beware of committing too many fouls, particularly against 6-8 senior Kingsley Obiorah.

— eric sondheimer, latimes.com, "A look at the state basketball championship games on Friday," 22 Mar. 2018
Police warn residents to beware of suspicious packages Federal law enforcement officials told Fox News the packages were made to look like mail.

— jennifer earl, Fox News, "Austin package bomb attacks timeline," 21 Mar. 2018
Cheer on the kids, by all means, but beware that their revolution might not include us.

— jonathan malesic, The New Republic, "Please, Millennials, Don’t Destroy Us Just Yet," 7 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'beware.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of beware

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

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BEWARE Defined for English Language Learners

beware

verb

Definition of beware for English Language Learners

: to be careful : to act in a way that shows you know that there may be danger or trouble

BEWARE Defined for Kids

beware

verb be·ware \ bi-ˈwer \

Definition of beware for Students

: to be cautious or careful

beware of the dog

He told them to beware.

Hint: Beware is used only in the forms beware or to beware.

Learn More about beware

See words that rhyme with beware Spanish Central: Translation of beware Nglish: Translation of beware for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of beware for Arabic speakers

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beware

Definition of beware

Examples of beware in a Sentence

Recent Examples of beware from the Web

Origin and Etymology of beware

BEWARE Defined for English Language Learners

beware

Definition of beware for English Language Learners

BEWARE Defined for Kids

beware

Definition of beware for Students

Learn More about beware

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