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

• dangerousness noun
• dangerously adverb
• 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

Harjo excels at capturing a place’s feeling and mood, and this version of Tulsa is as inviting as it is dangerous.

From Salon

The astronauts will then begin a dangerous part of the mission as they re-enter the Earth's atmosphere, and parachute back to the surface off the coast of California.

From BBC

Such dangerous pseudo-science is putting pregnant women and children at risk and devaluing autistic people.

From BBC

“It felt dangerous in a beautiful way,” described Stern, placing the group and their ethos firmly within the realm of Beyond Fest.

From Los Angeles Times

There is much disagreement among experts about how to try to claw our way back to democracy in this country, but little serious disagreement about the dangerous state of affairs at present.

From Salon

Related Words

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