endanger
Americanverb (used with object)
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endangers,
present (3rd person singular)
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endangered,
past participle, past
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endangering
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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endangersimple
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endangerssimple
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have endangeredperfect
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has endangeredperfect
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am endangeringprogressive
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are endangeringprogressive
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is endangeringprogressive
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have been endangeringperfect progressive
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has been endangeringperfect progressive
Past
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endangeredsimple
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had endangeredperfect
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was endangeringprogressive
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were endangeringprogressive
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had been endangeringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of endanger
late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at en- 1, danger
Explanation
To endanger someone is to put them in a dangerous position, or to threaten their safety. It would endanger your little brother if you encouraged him to jump off the garage roof into a pile of leaves. Texting while you drive is a good way to endanger yourself, as well as your passengers and anyone else nearby. Scientists warn that climate change will slowly begin to endanger many plant and animal species on Earth, possibly including humans. This 15th century word combines the prefix en-, "make or put in" with danger, from the Old French dangier, "power to harm."
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.
See Examples For:
In his opinion, it could also endanger the artificial-intelligence capital-expenditure boom.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2026
It applies to monuments and architecture, but also works of art and books, requiring states to safeguard and respect cultural property and refrain from any actions that might endanger it.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
Don’t force them to flout congressional intent or endanger lives in doing so.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2026
Lana warned against approaching Anak Krakatoa saying materials ejected from the volcano could endanger those within the exclusion zone.
From Barron's ● Sep. 6, 2026
But he didn’t want to give Jordan the satisfaction of knowing that he had hurt him, and he didn’t want to endanger Angel.
From "Forged by Fire" by Sharon M. Draper
“It puts the small businesses and nonprofits that put on shows every night at risk. And, it endangers fans’ economic well-being.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
Although it endangers his secret Traitor identity, he tries to protect Funches.
From Salon ● Jun. 20, 2026
The judge emphasized that Dobbs focused on a right to elective abortion, while Seyb’s case “tests how far Idaho may go when a woman’s pregnancy severely endangers her health.”
From Slate ● Jun. 16, 2026
Frontier AI developers are growing at a breakneck pace, fueling concerns over a lack of guardrails for a technology that endangers both corporate and national security.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026
Hublin says, “We are always acquiring, yes? All across the world, industrialization endangers mineral deposits. We collect as many types of minerals as exist. To a curator, none is superior to any other.”
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
The births follow the zoo's success last November in breeding the Atewa slippery frog, another critically endangered species from the same forest, which had also never been bred in captivity before.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
Fifteen critically endangered frogs have hatched at London Zoo, which says it marks the first time the species has been bred in captivity.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
And firm names with a long list of partners are increasingly endangered; one or two names are in.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
"The research is particularly important for the endangered Australian sea lion, which has an estimated population of only about 12,000 animals and relies on hearing for communication, finding food, navigation and detecting threats," Erbe said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
Nearly half of all Smokies mussels species are endangered; twelve are thought to be extinct.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
Compounding the problem: Drought, heat waves and an unusually strong El Niño weather pattern are also endangering harvests around the world.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
"He joins 16 other pilots sentenced in just three months for endangering lives with flimsy, overcrowded dinghies," she said.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
Without collecting race and ethnicity data in the census, these estimates could not be produced, needlessly wasting resources and endangering lives.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
A jury in New Mexico previously ordered Meta to pay $375 million after it found the company liable for endangering children by making them vulnerable to predators on its platforms, among other harms.
From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026
I think of Asase’s speech about my refusal to accept my grief possibly endangering the world … just like Nansi.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
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