Link Centre Dictionary

warn

UK/wɔːn/ US/woːn/ common

verb

1.

notify of danger, potential harm, or risk

  • “The director warned him that he might be fired”
  • “The doctor warned me about the dangers of smoking”
2.

admonish or counsel in terms of someone''s behavior

  • “I warned him not to go too far”
  • “I warn you against false assumptions”
  • “She warned him to be quiet”
Synonyms
3.

ask to go away

  • “The old man warned the children off his property”
4.

notify, usually in advance

  • “I warned you that I would ask some difficult questions”

Origin

From Middle English warnen, warnien (“to warn; admonish”), from Old English warnian (“to take heed; warn”), from Proto-Germanic *warnōną (“to warn; take heed”), from Proto-Indo-European *wer- (“to be aware; give heed”). Cognate with Dutch waarnen (obsolete), German Low German warnen, German warnen, Swedish varna, Icelandic varna.

Phrases

  • content warn
  • warn off

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.