warn

[wawrn]

verb (used with object)

1. 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

2. to urge or advise to be careful; caution.

   to warn a careless driver.

3. to admonish or exhort, as to action or conduct.

   She warned her employees to be on time.

4. to notify, advise, or inform.

   to warn a person of an intended visit.

5. 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.

6. to give authoritative or formal notice to (someone); order; summon.

   to warn a person to appear in court.

verb (used without object)

1. to give a warning; caution.

   to warn of further disasters.

warn

/ wɔːn /

verb

1. to notify or make (someone) aware of danger, harm, etc

2. (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

3. (takes a clause as object or an infinitive) to inform (someone) in advance

   he warned them that he would arrive late

4. (tr; usually foll by away, off, etc) to give notice to go away, be off, etc

   he warned the trespassers off his ground

Other Word Forms

• warner noun
• prewarn verb (used with object)
• rewarn verb (used with object)
• unwarned adjective
• well-warned adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of warn¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English warnen, Old English warnian; cognate with German warnen; ware ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of warn¹

Old English wearnian; related to Old High German warnēn, Old Norse varna to refuse

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

He ordered a hundred-pound bag, which the seed merchant in St. Paul warned would take six months to be delivered.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The investor known as the “bond king” is warning that most financial assets are “overvalued” and urging investors to diversify away from U.S. markets and set aside more cash.

Read more on MarketWatch

She hopes this integrated approach will support more coordinated monitoring of animals, people, and ecosystems and help identify early warning signs of rising NCDs.

Read more on Science Daily

The situation has been made even more turbulent by the suggestion that earlier warnings about safeguarding issues were not taken seriously.

Read more on BBC

He said some people had warned him that the job would be a "poisoned chalice".

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• address 
• advise 
• alert 
• caution 
• hint 
• inform 
• instruct 
• notify 
• order 
• predict 
• prepare 
• prompt 
• recommend 
• remind 
• signal 
• suggest 
• summon 
• tell 
• threaten 
• urge