Synonyms

cautionary tale

American

[kaw-shuh-ner-ee teyl] / ˈkɔ ʃəˌnɛr i ˈteɪl /

noun

a story, experience, or situation that serves as a warning to others.

The malware's devastating effect on her files became a cautionary tale about the importance of antivirus software.

Etymology

Origin of cautionary tale

First recorded in 1810–20

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Whatever the high court does, Murrin’s case is a cautionary tale for taxpayers as they file their 2025 income-tax returns.

From MarketWatch

Instead, it became a cautionary tale about the perils of governing-by-influencer.

From Salon

Before anyone starts quoting the cautionary tale of Jaden Smith, another kid whisked into acting by his musician father Will Smith, let me say that Jaden, too, was a good young performer.

From Los Angeles Times

The risk is that the U.K.’s contribution to the golden age is a cautionary tale about the cost of these megaprojects as the U.S. advances its own nuclear buildout.

From The Wall Street Journal

This is a cautionary tale for anyone contemplating giving away their legal agency.

From MarketWatch

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023