Basic+ Word of the Day: beware

beware (verb) past tense: bewared

Beware means ‘to be cautious or careful about.’

• Beware of the dog; it may bite.
• If someone offers you something for free, beware; it may be a trick.

Common uses

Let the buyer beware means that as the buyer, it’s your responsibility to make sure that you get a good value for your money.

Did you know?

Although beware and be careful mean the same thing, be careful is more conversational. If you were making a sign to warn about something, you would usually say beware.

In pop culture

Here is George Harrison singing “Beware of Darkness.”

There are other meanings of beware.