Showing results for "endangered"

• past tense form of endanger.
• past participle of endanger.

endangered

American  

[en-deyn-jerd] / ɛnˈdeɪn dʒərd /

adjective

1. threatened with a danger.

   endangered lives of trapped coal miners.

2. Biology, Ecology. generally perceived as threatened with extinction.

   In 1967, the U.S. government declared the bald eagle endangered, but the national bird’s population recovery since then has been remarkable.

3. Biology, Ecology. (of a threatened plant or animal species) having a very high risk of extinction, second only to the status of critically endangered, as categorized by the IUCN Red List: EN

   There are more than 3,600 endangered plant species throughout the world.

---

endangered British  

/ ɪnˈdeɪndʒəd /

adjective

1. in danger: used esp of animals in danger of extinction

   the giant panda is an endangered species

---

Other Word Forms

• unendangered
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of endangered

First recorded in 1590–1600; endanger + -ed ²

Compare meaning

How does endangered compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• endangered vs. threatened species

Explanation

An animal that is endangered is close to extinction — meaning there aren't very many of that type of animal left in the world. This word is used mostly to describe animal species that are not doing very well: animals usually become endangered because of over hunting or the destruction of their habitat. Environmental groups and animal-lovers try to help endangered species survive. Outside of the animal kingdom, you can say anything that seems to be dying out is endangered, like good manners, phone booths, or the art of letter writing.

Example Sentences

Not afraid of being too inside baseball, she turns a spotlight onto the backstage realities of an endangered cultural scene that, by the evidence of this play alone, is too wonderful to abandon.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 8, 2026

To conservationist Ratha Sor, the whoops and whistles are the sound of hope -- a sign that the country's largest remaining stretch of intact rainforest is healthy enough to support the endangered species.

From Barron's • Jun. 25, 2026

Zoological director Emily Quantrill said: "This litter marks a fabulous conservation effort for the protection of an endangered British species and this is a very proud moment for the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary."

From BBC • Jun. 25, 2026

Mr. Schumer has described Micron’s site as “open fields,” but it includes hundreds of acres of wetlands and forestland that are nesting areas for endangered bats.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 22, 2026

By 1990, they were officially declared an endangered species.

From "Camp Panda" by Catherine Thimmesh

Related Words

• threatened