English · Word Candidate

warn

/wɔːn/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: warns · warned

Sense 1

Meaning · English

To make (someone) aware of (something impending); especially: — To make (someone) aware of impending danger, evil, etc.

Verb

We waved a flag to warn the oncoming traffic about the accident.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Meaning · English

To make (someone) aware of (something impending); especially: — To notify or inform (someone, about something).

Verb

I warned him he'd be getting a huge box of birthday presents from me.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

What does “warn” mean?

To make (someone) aware of (something impending); especially: — To make (someone) aware of impending danger, evil, etc.

Is “warn” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.