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a cautionary tale about sth
cautionary tale 是最常见的搭配，指含有警示意义的故事。
The documentary is a cautionary tale about the dangers of online scams.
这部纪录片是关于网络诈骗危险的警示故事。
警示的；告诫的
先理解核心含义，再看它在真实句子里的用法。
警示的；告诫的
serving to warn or admonish
The documentary is a cautionary tale about the dangers of online scams.
这部纪录片是关于网络诈骗危险的警示故事。
用于告诫或警告的；劝诫性的。
Serving to caution or warn; admonitory
防止的
warding off; - Victor Schultze
用于防止的；预防性的。
Serving to ward off; preventive
起警示作用的
serving to warn
The government launched a cautionary campaign about the dangers of texting while driving.
政府发起了一场关于开车发短信危险的警示宣传运动。
Her experience serves as a cautionary tale for anyone who invests without doing research.
她的经历对那些不做研究就投资的人来说是一个警示故事。
Before signing the contract, the lawyer gave us a cautionary note about hidden fees.
签合同前，律师就隐藏费用向我们提出了告诫。
cautionary tale 是最常见的搭配，指含有警示意义的故事。
The documentary is a cautionary tale about the dangers of online scams.
这部纪录片是关于网络诈骗危险的警示故事。
sound/strike a cautionary note 意为“发出警告，表示提醒”。
The report strikes a cautionary note about the risks of the new policy.
这份报告对新政策的风险发出了警示。
cautionary advice 指带有提醒或警告性质的建议，后接 about 说明具体事项。
His father gave him cautionary advice before he left home.
他父亲在他离家之前给了他一些劝诫性的建议。
Not this
He is very cautionary when driving.
Use this
He is very cautious when driving.
cautionary 是形容词，表示“起告诫/警示作用的”，多修饰 tale、measure 等事物；要形容某人做事小心谨慎，应用 cautious。原句的意思是“他开车时非常谨慎”，所以改为 cautious。
Not this
The teacher gave us a cautionary about cheating.
Use this
The teacher gave us a warning about cheating.
cautionary 只能作形容词，不能作名词；表示“警告/告诫”这个具体行为或话语时，应用名词 warning。原句需要宾语“一个警告”，故改成 warning。
Focus on the distinctions below. Other candidates are kept compact until a reliable usage note is available.
警示故事；告诫性事例
The film is a cautionary tale about the dangers of greed.
这部电影是一个关于贪婪危险的警示故事。
告诫；警示性的说法
The report struck a cautionary note about the risks of the investment.
报告对这项投资的风险发出了警示。
警示性警告
Officials issued a cautionary warning to travelers.
官员向旅行者发出了警示性警告。
警示信息
The advertisement carries a cautionary message about smoking.
这则广告带有关于吸烟的警示信息。
告诫性建议
Her cautionary advice saved us from making a costly mistake.
她的告诫性建议使我们避免了一个代价高昂的错误。
警示性例子；前车之鉴
His failure is a cautionary example for anyone who ignores safety rules.
他的失败是任何忽视安全规则之人的警示性例子。
警示故事；劝诫性故事
The documentary is a cautionary tale about the dangers of social media.
这部纪录片是关于社交媒体危害的警示故事。
警示；提醒
Economists struck a cautionary note about the recovery.
经济学家对经济复苏发出了警示。
Use cautionary naturally, then get feedback on meaning, tone, grammar, and phrasing.
Revisit a common error or keep this word in your review list.
联想交通牌上的“CAUTION（小心）”字样：它警告你前方有风险，所以cautionary就是“起警示作用的、告诫性的”。
语域：formal 常见场景：news reporting、literature and storytelling、official notices 这个形容词多用于正式或书面语境，表示‘具有警示作用的’。常见的搭配有 a cautionary tale（警示性的故事）等。在新闻报道、文学作品或正式告示中比较常见，日常口语对话中较少出现。
只有 precautionary 与 cautionary 真正押韵（重读元音和后续音相同）。stationary、dictionary、revolutionary 虽以 -tionary 拼写结尾并有相同的 /ʃəˌnɛri/ 非重读结尾，但重读元音不同，所以不押韵。
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, WIKTIONARY.