dangerous

[deyn-jer-uhs, deynj-ruhs]

adjective

1. full of danger danger or risk; causing danger; danger; perilous; risky; hazardous; unsafe.

2. able or likely to cause physical injury.

   a dangerous criminal.

dangerous

/ ˈdeɪndʒərəs /

adjective

1. causing danger; perilous

Other Word Forms

• dangerously adverb
• dangerousness noun
• nondangerous adjective
• nondangerously adverb
• nondangerousness noun
• quasi-dangerous adjective
• quasi-dangerously adverb
• semidangerous adjective
• semidangerously adverb
• semidangerousness noun
• undangerous adjective
• undangerously adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of dangerous¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English da(u)ngerous “domineering, fraught with danger,” from Old French dangereus “threatening, difficult,” equivalent to dangier ( danger ) + -eus -ous

Idioms and Phrases

see little knowledge is a dangerous thing; live dangerously.

Example Sentences

They were adopted in reaction to a history of dangerous and discredited practices, including treatments that induced nausea and vomiting or administered electric shocks.

From Los Angeles Times

But football is “violent chess. That is gladiators without swords. That is dangerous. The whole season, I am locked in on what that man is doing on the field.”

From Salon

"Can you imagine if he's out there, every single week, doing this very dangerous, very high-pressure, high-intensity sport and I'm like: 'I wonder what my choreography should be?'"

From BBC

A bit too tough, a bit too hard edged, a bit too dangerous... but then we had a crisis and, suddenly, Thatcher was the right answer.

From BBC

"His whole idea is to make people do uncomfortable or dangerous things for money - and if it wasn't real, nobody would watch it," says Prof Holmquist.

From BBC

Related Words

• alarming 
• bad 
• critical 
• deadly 
• fatal 
• nasty 
• perilous 
• precarious 
• risky 
• serious 
• terrible 
• threatening 
• treacherous 
• ugly 
• unhealthy 
• unsafe 
• unstable