verb
beware
bee-WEH
verb
1
To be cautious or watchful, often about a specific danger.
"Beware of the dog when you enter the yard."
"Visitors should beware of pickpockets in crowded markets."
How to Use Beware
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA warning to watch out for something, often paired with "of."
Memory tip
Beware is only used as a command or infinitive ("Beware!", "to beware of") — it has no other tenses like "bewared" or "bewaring."
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Common pairings
beware of the dog
let the buyer beware
Word Forms
bewared past tense, bewore past tense, bewares singular
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Fill the Gap
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_____ of the dog when you enter the yard.
Etymology
From Middle English "be ware," literally "be wary/watchful" — a fusion of "be" and "aware."