Beware
//biˈwɛɚ// verb
verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
Verb
- 1 To use caution, pay attention to (used both with and without of). ambitransitive, defective
"Behold, I send an Angel before thee[…]. Beware of him, and obey his voice."
- 2 be on one's guard; be cautious or wary about; be alert to wordnet
Example
More examples"Beware lest you should miss the train."
Etymology
From Middle English bewar, be war, be ware, forms of Middle English ben ware (“to be on one's guard, be vigilant”, literally “be ware”), equivalent to be + ware or be + aware. Compare Old English bewarian.
Related phrases
More for "beware"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.