beware
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
Words nearby beware
VOCAB BUILDER
What does beware mean?
Beware means be careful or cautious—watch out for danger or other bad stuff.
Beware is a command (or at least a suggestion). Sometimes, it’s used by itself, as in Beware! There are dark forces afoot!
More commonly, it’s immediately followed by the specific thing you should beware of, as in Beware the words of politicians.
Perhaps most commonly, it’s paired with the word of, such as on a sign that says Beware of cat. (You thought we were going to say Beware of dog, didn’t you? Stay alert, folks. Beware a wily dictionary.)
Example: Before you enter the internet, there should be a sign that says “Beware of trolls.”
Where does beware come from?
The first records of the word beware come from the 1100s. It comes from the warning phrase be ware, meaning “be wary.” Wary means “watchful” or “on guard against danger.” Wary, the ware in beware, and the word aware are all based on the same root, and all involve alertness or watchfulness. The word be is used in the same way in the similarly formed word begone.
Beware doesn’t sound as archaic as begone, but it does sound a little old-fashioned and dramatic (especially when used without of). It can be used as simple advice, as in Beware of ice on your drive home, but a lot of people would probably just say watch out for instead of beware of.
Since beware is typically used as an imperative (a command), when it’s used in more general advice, it can sometimes sound like a proverb. It’s used this way in the famous expression beware of Greeks bearing gifts (meaning “don’t trust enemies who bring you gifts”—a reference to the story of Trojan horse).
The Latin phrase caveat emptor literally translates as “let the buyer beware,” meaning that unless a product has a warranty, it’s basically up to the buyer to make sure the product is OK before buying it.
The most common modern use of beware is probably on signs that say things like Beware of dog. Such a message is intended as a warning that’s also supposed to clear the property owner of any responsibility for what happens if you don’t beware the dog.
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How is beware used in real life?
Outside of its use on signs warning about dangerous dogs, beware is usually used to sound a little old-fashioned or dramatic.
beware of dog, he is absolutely terrifying (thepetcollective) pic.twitter.com/0k22EMPOcy
— Animals Are Everything (@puppieslogic) May 20, 2020
In brightest day, in blackest night,
no evil shall escape my sight,
let those who worship evil's might,
beware my power, Green Lantern's Light.Today is the original Green Lantern's 80th anniversary! #GreenLantern80 pic.twitter.com/I57iACJi1t
— Sheikh Saheb (@R3dspik3) May 17, 2020
4/ Caveat emptor, a concept that goes hand-in-hand with Laissez-faire economics, means “buyer beware.”
The idea is that if people are duped, it’s their own fault for not being wiser. https://t.co/mbPu3jCuLX
— Teri Kanefield (@Teri_Kanefield) May 18, 2020
Try using beware!
Which of the following things should you NOT do when told to beware?
A. be on guard
B. relax
C. watch out
D. take heed