adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of dangerous
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English da(u)ngerous “domineering, fraught with danger,” from Old French dangereus “threatening, difficult,” equivalent to dangier ( see danger) + -eus -ous
Explanation
Use the word dangerous to describe anything that can potentially cause serious harm, like a snarling pit bull or an icy, treacherous road. The earliest meaning of the word dangerous was "difficult or arrogant." When Geoffrey Chaucer wrote "The Canterbury Tales" in the 1300s, he used dangerous to mean "hard to please." Gradually the meaning changed, so that by the late fifteenth century, dangerous meant "liable to cause hurt" or "risky." Just as popular were two other danger-related words that we don't use anymore today: dangersome and dangerful, which at the time could be used interchangeably with dangerous.
Vocabulary lists containing dangerous
Words Every Pirate Should Know
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"Volcano!"
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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.
The line between giving just enough personal information for a better prompt, and dangerous oversharing, can be thin when you’re interacting with a chatbot.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 1, 2026
For Bayern Munich, Olise hugs the right touchline, cutting in to shoot or play dangerous passes.
From BBC • Jun. 30, 2026
“A market that might support that kind of activity, I think, is a dangerous market.”
From Slate • Jun. 30, 2026
The country is moving to buttress its defense industry in the face of what Prime Minister Keir Starmer called a more dangerous and volatile world.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 30, 2026
It was a frightening and dangerous moment for this simple peasant turned governor.
From "Adventures of Don Quixote" by Argentina Palacios
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
