beware

verb

be·​ware bi-ˈwer 

bē-

intransitive verb

: to be on one's guard

beware of the dog

transitive verb

1

: to take care of

beware your wallet

2

: to be wary of

we must … beware the exceedingly tenuous generalization

—Matthew Lipman

Synonyms

• guard (against)
• look out (for)
• mind
• ware
• watch out (for)

Examples of beware in a Sentence

A ghostly voice cried “Beware!”.

He told them to beware.

The restaurant's food is excellent, but beware the chili if you don't like spicy food.

Recent Examples on the Web

Coming full circle, the FBI also warned users to beware this frightening new threat in a special advisory last month. —Zak Doffman, Forbes, 18 Jan. 2025

If you're affected by the L.A. fires: Here's how to beware of scammers looking to make money off disaster. —Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 16 Jan. 2025

Excess cheese and meats If an omelet or an egg scramble is your go-to egg style, DeCicco said to beware of loading your dish with an excess of high-fat cheeses, meats and butter. —Angelica Stabile, Fox News, 15 Jan. 2025

Reddit users shared their amusement, warning the poster to beware that the story will be told for years to come. —Ashley Vega, People.com, 23 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English been war, from been "to be" + war "cognizant, ware entry 1"

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Kids Definition

beware

verb

be·​ware bi-ˈwa(ə)r 

-ˈwe(ə)r

1

: to be on one's guard

beware of the dog

2

: to be suspicious of

beware the quick excuse