warning
Americannoun
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the act or utterance of one who warns or the existence, appearance, sound, etc., of a thing that warns.
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something that serves to warn, give notice, or caution.
We fired a warning at the intruders.
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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.
adjective
noun
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a hint, intimation, threat, etc, of harm or danger
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advice to beware or desist
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an archaic word for notice
adjective
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(prenominal) intended or serving to warn
a warning look
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(of the coloration of certain distasteful or poisonous animals) having conspicuous markings, which predators recognize and learn to avoid; aposematic
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of warning
First recorded before 900; Middle English (noun); Old English war(e)nung “precaution”; see warn, -ing 1, -ing 2
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."
Vocabulary lists containing warning
"Encounter"
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"Volcano!"
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Messenger
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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.
"I was annoyed the pothole just ripped the tyre and there was no warning on the road," she said.
From BBC • May 14, 2026
The findings suggest that large magma intrusions can happen rapidly and with limited warning signs.
From Science Daily • May 14, 2026
Then again, the broad stock market has been performing well, for the most part, over the past decade, and this year’s action has run counter to that warning.
From MarketWatch • May 14, 2026
Marcos and his interior minister, however, said that armed men sought to enter the Senate building, prompting a warning shot from Senate security.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026
And then without warning, his sliding foot was hanging out over nothing.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
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.
