warn

Verb
Synonyms: discourageadmonishmonish

WordNet 3.0

Verb (4)

  1. notify of danger, potential harm, or risk“The director warned him that he might be fired”“The doctor warned me about the dangers of smoking”
  2. admonish or counsel in terms of someone's behavior“I warned him not to go too far”“I warn you against false assumptions”“She warned him to be quiet”Synonyms: discourageadmonishmonish
  3. ask to go away“The old man warned the children off his property”
  4. notify, usually in advance“I warned you that I would ask some difficult questions”
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Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

Warn \Warn\ (w[add]rn), v. t. [OE. wernen, AS. weornan, wyrnan. Cf. Warn to admonish.] To refuse. [Written also wern, worn.] [Obs.] --Chaucer. [1913 Webster]
Warn \Warn\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Warned; p. pr. & vb. n. Warning.] [OE. warnen, warnien, AS. warnian, wearnian, to take heed, to warn; akin to AS. wearn denial, refusal, OS. warning, wernian, to refuse, OHG. warnen, G. warnen to warn, OFries. warna, werna, Icel. varna to refuse; and probably to E. wary. ????.] [1913 Webster]

1.To make ware or aware; to give previous information to; to give notice to; to notify; to admonish; hence, to notify or summon by authority; as, to warn a town meeting; to warn a tenant to quit a house. "Warned of the ensuing fight." --Dryden. [1913 Webster]

Cornelius the centurion . . . was warned from God by an holy angel to send for thee.— Acts x. 22.[1913 Webster]
Who is it that hath warned us to the walls?— Shak.[1913 Webster]

2.To give notice to, of approaching or probable danger or evil; to caution against anything that may prove injurious. "Juturna warns the Daunian chief of Lausus' danger, urging swift relief." --Dryden. [1913 Webster]

3.To ward off. [Obs.] --Spenser. [1913 Webster]

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