dangerous

adjective

dan·​ger·​ous ˈdān-jə-rəs How to pronounce dangerous (audio)
ˈdān-jərs,
-zhrəs
1
: involving possible injury, pain, harm, or loss : characterized by danger
a dangerous job
2
: able or likely to inflict injury or harm
a dangerous man
dangerously adverb
dangerousness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for dangerous

dangerous, hazardous, precarious, perilous, risky mean bringing or involving the chance of loss or injury.

dangerous applies to something that may cause harm or loss unless dealt with carefully.

soldiers on a dangerous mission

hazardous implies great and continuous risk of harm or failure.

claims that smoking is hazardous to your health

precarious suggests both insecurity and uncertainty.

earned a precarious living by gambling

perilous strongly implies the immediacy of danger.

perilous mountain roads

risky often applies to a known and accepted danger.

shied away from risky investments

Examples of dangerous in a Sentence

She got into a car accident while driving through a dangerous intersection. He often drives at dangerous speeds. The city can be a dangerous place to live. The storms may cause dangerous flooding. He is wanted for assault with a dangerous weapon. the most dangerous of drugs
Recent Examples on the Web The stripper tour drew a dangerous element (people trying to get into the clubs with weapons), and even resulted in her being arrested in Columbus, Ohio, by a cop who was a Trump supporter. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 9 Mar. 2024 Roosevelt administration officials such as Interior Secretary Harold Ickes and Attorney General Robert Jackson forthrightly called them out as dangerous fascists at the time and warned that America faced an internal threat to its democracy and rule of law. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 Torrential rainfall from late Friday through the overnight hours could bring an additional 3 to 4 inches to the Atlanta area and create a fresh round of dangerous flash flooding. Mary Gilbert, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024 The original Bagman told the story of Benjo Malaya, a neighborhood barber who lands a job as the governor’s henchman and gets caught up in a dangerous web of crime, corruption and political turmoil. Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Mar. 2024 Absinthe gained a reputation as having dangerous hallucinogenic and psychoactive properties, although that has since been disproven (the likely culprit was just drinking way too much). Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 8 Mar. 2024 But together, their work put them in dangerous situations. Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 8 Mar. 2024 Editors’ Picks The likelihood of being a victim of a violent crime on the subway remains low, but public officials are battling a perception that the system is dangerous. Ana Ley, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024 Excessive doses of magnesium can be dangerous for people living with kidney impairment, as excess magnesium is flushed out in the urine. Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dangerous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see danger entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dangerous was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near dangerous

Cite this Entry

“Dangerous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dangerous. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

dangerous

adjective
dan·​ger·​ous ˈdānj-(ə-)rəs How to pronounce dangerous (audio)
1
: exposing to or involving danger
a dangerous mission
2
: able or likely to cause injury
dangerous weapons
dangerously adverb
dangerousness noun

Legal Definition

dangerous

adjective
dan·​ger·​ous
1
: creating a risk of bodily injury
a dangerous condition of a public building
2
: able or likely to inflict especially serious bodily injury
a dangerous criminal with no regard for human life
a dangerous animal
also : deadly
3
: likely to engage in repeated criminal activity
a dangerous offender

Note: The activity that an offender is likely to engage in need not involve violence in order for the offender to be deemed dangerous.

More from Merriam-Webster on dangerous

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