ENGLISH
REFERENCE

cautionary tale

idiom
Meaning

A story, originally told in folklore, to warn its audience of a certain danger.


Examples
SIMPLE

His failed business is a cautionary tale for new entrepreneurs.

CONTEXTUAL

The documentary about the company's collapse serves as a cautionary tale for anyone ignoring basic safety rules.

COMPLEX

The rise and fall of the empire remains a cautionary tale, illustrating how unchecked ambition inevitably leads to ruin.

Anchors to
Related idioms4entries
  1. 01

    live to tell the tale

    To survive some difficulty, illness, etc.

  2. 02

    tall tale

    A tale or story which is fantastic and greatly exaggerated; also, an account of questionable veracity; a lie, an untruth.

  3. 03

    tell its own tale

    To speak for itself; to require no explanation.

  4. 04

    weep and wail

    [Cockney slang]a tale

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