warn

Pronunciation: /wɔɹn/

Reading level: medium

Estimated CEFR level: B1 — Intermediate

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. verb notify of danger, potential harm, or risk
  2. verb admonish or counsel in terms of someone's behavior
  3. verb ask to go away

Etymology

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.

In classic literature

Semantic network

Broader (hypernyms)
inform
Narrower (hyponyms)
caution, threaten, alarm, forewarn

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