warn
Americanverb (used with object)
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to give notice, advice, or intimation to (a person, group, etc.) of danger, impending evil, possible harm, or anything else unfavorable.
They warned him of a plot against him. She was warned that her life was in danger.
- Synonyms:
- forewarn
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to urge or advise to be careful; caution.
to warn a careless driver.
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to admonish or exhort, as to action or conduct.
She warned her employees to be on time.
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to notify, advise, or inform.
to warn a person of an intended visit.
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to give notice to (a person, group, etc.) to go, keep at a distance, etc. (often followed by away, off, etc.).
A sign warns trespassers off the grounds. A marker warned boats away from the dock.
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to give authoritative or formal notice to (someone); order; summon.
to warn a person to appear in court.
verb (used without object)
verb
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to notify or make (someone) aware of danger, harm, etc
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(tr; often takes a negative and an infinitive) to advise or admonish (someone) as to action, conduct, etc
I warn you not to do that again
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(takes a clause as object or an infinitive) to inform (someone) in advance
he warned them that he would arrive late
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(tr; usually foll by away, off, etc) to give notice to go away, be off, etc
he warned the trespassers off his ground
Related Words
Warn, caution, admonish imply attempting to prevent another from running into danger or getting into unpleasant or undesirable circumstances. To warn is to speak plainly and usually in strong terms: to warn him about danger and possible penalties. To caution is to advise about necessary precautions, to put one on one's guard about possibly harmful circumstances or conditions, thus emphasizing avoidance of undesirable consequences: to caution him against driving in such weather. Admonish suggests giving earnest, authoritative advice with only tacit references to danger or penalty: to admonish a person for neglecting his duties.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of warn
First recorded before 1000; Middle English warnen, Old English warnian; cognate with German warnen; Cf. ware 2
Explanation
When you warn someone, you advise them to be careful or tell them about a problem or danger. If you perform a dangerous stunt, you should probably warn your audience, "Don't try this at home." Many traffic signs are meant to warn drivers about hazards, like bridges that get slippery in the rain or bumps in the road. And the purpose of a dog's growl is to warn another dog (or human) that it's stressed or fearful. A warning is a helpful message, no matter what form it comes in, and to warn is to send this message. The Old English root is warnian, "give notice of impending danger."
Vocabulary lists containing warn
"The Secret Water"
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"The Black Ferris" by Ray Bradbury
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Tasting the Sky
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“When they run out,” Warn said, “I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2022
Elin Warn Betanzo of the consulting firm Safe Water Engineering said there wasn’t evidence of poor filter performance in Benton Harbor last year, but a “lack of data.”
From Seattle Times • Mar. 3, 2022
Dr. John Gartner is a psychologist, psychoanalyst and former professor at the Johns Hopkins University Medical School, and the founder of Duty to Warn.
From Salon • Oct. 10, 2021
Warn of impending bad news as soon as you know about it.
From Washington Post • Apr. 1, 2020
“Piper, get below. Use the sink in the galley for an Iris-message. Warn Jason to get back here!”
From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
