warned; warning; warns

transitive verb

1
a
: to give notice to beforehand especially of danger or evil
b
: to give admonishing advice to : counsel
c
: to call to one's attention : inform
2
: to order to go or stay away
often used with off
warner noun

Examples of warn in a Sentence

I had been warned about the difficulties of the job. She warned me that the stove was still hot. “This won't be easy,” he warned. Nobody warned me about the dangers. I warned him to be careful, but he didn't listen to me. She warned us not to go too close to the fire.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
However, as Strickland and his colleagues warn, this same capability could also be a stepping stone to more sophisticated forms of deception—an unsettling thought in the context of alignment faking and AI’s ability to manipulate human oversight. Craig S. Smith, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025 Education and health experts warn that, ultimately, this could harm patient care. Annie Sciacca, Sacramento Bee, 17 Mar. 2025 In January, four tourists drowned near Punta Cana, when a red flag warned of strong currents and rough seas, according to The Associated Press. Audrey Conklin, Fox News, 17 Mar. 2025 The company last week warned in a letter to the Office of the United States Trade Representative that the White House's trade policies could hurt EV manufacturers. Alain Sherter, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for warn

Word History

Etymology

Middle English warnen, going back to Old English wearnian, warnian "to be on one's guard, make aware, put on one's guard," going back to West Germanic *warnōjan- (whence Middle Dutch waernen "to provide with, give notice of a danger," Old High German warnōn), probably causative derivative of Germanic *wara- "cognizant, watchful" — more at ware entry 1

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of warn was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Warn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/warn. Accessed 20 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

warn

verb
1
a
: to give notice to beforehand especially of danger or evil
b
: to give advice to : counsel
2
: to order to go or stay away
warned us off their land
warner noun

More from Merriam-Webster on warn

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!