cautionary tale

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

NOUN

piece of advice

Synonyms

WEAK

a few words of wisdom admonition advisory caution light caveat deterrent example enough said event illustrating a hazard forewarning hint lesson message moral omen portent red flag sign of things to come wake-up call warning word to the wise

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.

"I hope I'll be a cautionary tale to someone who's in my position to make better choices."

From BBC • May 27, 2026

This is not an ad for life insurance, but rather a cautionary tale.

From MarketWatch • May 27, 2026

Franco’s situation serves as a cautionary tale for MLB teams that hand out long-term contracts years before players become free agents.

From Los Angeles Times • May 26, 2026

“It’s a classic cautionary tale about this sort of ballot-box legislation,” said Michael Manville, a professor of urban planning at the University of California, Los Angeles.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026

The horrors of Nazi eugenics inspired a cautionary tale, prompting a global reexamination of the ambitions that had spurred the effort.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee