Showing results for "warning"

• present participle of warn.

warning

American  

[wawr-ning] / ˈwɔr nɪŋ /

noun

• warnings
  plural

1. 

   the act or utterance of one who warns or the existence, appearance, sound, etc., of a thing that warns.

2. something that serves to warn, give notice, or caution.

   We fired a warning at the intruders.

   Synonyms:

   presage, augury, portent, sign, omen, advice, admonition, caution

3. Meteorology. an announcement from the U.S. National Weather Service alerting the public that a storm or other weather-related hazard is imminent and that immediate steps should be taken to protect lives and property.

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adjective

1. serving to warn, advise, caution.

   a warning bell.

warning British  

/ ˈwɔːnɪŋ /

noun

1. a hint, intimation, threat, etc, of harm or danger

2. advice to beware or desist

3. an archaic word for notice

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adjective

1. (prenominal) intended or serving to warn

   a warning look

2. (of the coloration of certain distasteful or poisonous animals) having conspicuous markings, which predators recognize and learn to avoid; aposematic

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• warningly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• warnings
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of warning

First recorded before 900; Middle English (noun); Old English war(e)nung “precaution”; see warn, -ing ¹, -ing ²

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Explanation

A warning is a caution against something dangerous. When there's a shark warning at the beach, the lifeguards will order everyone out of the water. When you receive a warning, you get an official advance notice of some impending problem. A crow might caw loudly as a warning when it sees a cat, and a traffic cop might give a first-time speeder a warning instead of an expensive ticket. You can also use warning as an adjective: "The warning light came on in her car as it started to overheat."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

warning warnings

Ukraine said this week, as Operation Vivaldi concluded, that the system had restrictions imposed without warning, limiting their capability.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

"Follow fire and law enforcement directions. Check on neighbors who may need assistance if able to safely do so," Los Angeles County officials said in an emergency warning to residents.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

Therefore, “it’s a real warning sign because it’s the last saloon.”

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

A larger swath of Malibu was under an evacuation warning.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

There was caution in his voice now, something warning me not to get too excited.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse

Last year the company issued a string of profit warnings and ended up reporting less than half a billion dollars in net income, down from $5.6 billion in 2023.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

When doctors reviewed translations with high quality scores, they also found small but frequent mistakes in medication instructions, as well as in warnings about when to urgently return to the ER.

From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026

The Los Angeles County Fire Department issued an evacuation order for the Encinal Canyon area of Malibu, with surrounding areas under evacuation warnings.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

However, he’s also made timely past warnings of technology selloffs and advised investors to buy equities during an early stage of the pandemic.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026

Jay’s eyes glinted at the mention of warnings.

From "Root Magic" by Eden Royce

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Related Words

• admonition
• advice
• alarm
• alert
• caution
• example
• guidance
• hint
• indication
• information
• lesson
• notification
• prediction
• recommendation
• sign
• signal
• suggestion
• threat
• word

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