hazard

[ haz-erd ]

/ ˈhæz ərd /

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See synonyms for hazard on Thesaurus.com

noun

an unavoidable danger or risk, even though often foreseeable: The job was full of hazards.

something causing unavoidable danger, peril, risk, or difficulty: The many hazards of the big city did nothing to convince her to leave.

the absence or lack of predictability; chance; uncertainty: There is an element of hazard in the execution of the most painstaking plans.

Golf. a bunker, sand trap, or the like, constituting an obstacle.

the uncertainty of the result in throwing a die.

a game played with two dice, an earlier and more complicated form of craps.

Court Tennis. any of the winning openings.

(in English billiards) a stroke by which the player pockets the object ball (winning hazard ) or their own ball after contact with another ball (losing hazard ).

verb (used with object)

to offer (a statement, conjecture, etc.) with the possibility of facing criticism, disapproval, failure, or the like; venture: He hazarded a guess, with trepidation, as to her motives in writing the article.

to put to the risk of being lost; expose to risk: In making the investment, he hazarded all his savings.

to take or run the risk of (a misfortune, penalty, etc.): Thieves hazard arrest.

to venture upon (anything of doubtful issue): to hazard a dangerous encounter.

OTHER WORDS FOR hazard

3 accident, fortuity, fortuitousness.

10 stake, endanger, peril, imperil.

See synonyms for hazard on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR hazard

1 safety.

See antonyms for hazard on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about hazard

at hazard, at risk; at stake; subject to chance: His reputation was at hazard in his new ventures.

Origin of hazard

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English hasard from Old French, perhaps from Arabic al-zahr “the die”

synonym study for hazard

1. See danger.

OTHER WORDS FROM hazard

haz·ard·a·ble, adjectivehaz·ard·er, nounhaz·ard·less, adjectivepre·haz·ard, adjective

un·haz·ard·ed, adjectiveun·haz·ard·ing, adjectivewell-haz·ard·ed, adjective

Words nearby hazard

haywire, Haywood, Hayworth, hazan, Hazara, hazard, hazard light, hazard lights, hazardous, hazardous waste, hazard warning device

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use hazard in a sentence

It might be a hazard of the job, and even if you leave Instagram, it would probably be good to talk to a therapist who can help you develop coping strategies.
Social Media Feels Increasingly Toxic. What Do I Do?|Blair Braverman|August 29, 2020|Outside Online
Autonomous vehicles need to be able to predict whether a child is about to run into the road or whether a wobbling cyclist presents a hazard.
How special relativity can help AI predict the future|Will Heaven|August 28, 2020|MIT Technology Review
Yet, while desire is one thing, the hazards that await are another.
Clean, Lean, Mean Machines: 5 Super COVID-Safe Gyms|Joshua Eferighe|August 28, 2020|Ozy
It is outrageous that these companies are keeping all of us in the dark about the dangers these workers face and the hazards that still exist across San Diego County and the state.
The Pandemic Hasn’t Gone Away – Neither Should Hazard Pay|Todd Walters and Brent E. Beltrán|August 20, 2020|Voice of San Diego

The job may look as simple as connecting two wires, but doing the job incorrectly can be a true safety hazard either immediately or down the road.
Know your limits when it comes to DIY|Sherri Anne Green|August 15, 2020|Washington Blade
That is where the subordinate gangs like Big Hazard come in.
The Mexican Mafia Is the Daddy of All Street Gangs|Seth Ferranti|December 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Hazard gang is a multi-generational gang based in the East Los Angeles area.
The Mexican Mafia Is the Daddy of All Street Gangs|Seth Ferranti|December 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Hazard ratios were largest for benzodiazepines—the most commonly prescribed drug class.
Anti-Anxiety and Sleeping Pills Increase Risk of Death, New Study Reports|Brandy Zadrozny|April 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“Sexual assault is not an occupational hazard,” Arbogast said.
Retired Marine Reveals Secret Suffering of Male Military Rape Victims|Caitlin Dickson|February 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And garbage from this massive infrastructure project was also poured into the Mzymta River, causing an ecological hazard.
Putin's Criminal Olympics|Michael Weiss|January 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Not suspecting her motive, he represented the hazard of putting so great an affront on the favourite of the Empress.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
A fifth by the sheer hazard of a lucky "deal" acquires a fortune without work at all.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
She began to perceive what life really was, and the immense importance of hazard therein.
Hilda Lessways|Arnold Bennett
Lawrence, when the day was lost, rode back to prepare the hapless Europeans in the city for the hazard that now threatened.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
That it was his determination to hazard all things rather than chill the coalition.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various

British Dictionary definitions for hazard

hazard

/ (ˈhæzəd) /

noun

exposure or vulnerability to injury, loss, evil, etc

at hazard at risk; in danger

a thing likely to cause injury, etc

golf an obstacle such as a bunker, a road, rough, water, etc

chance; accident (esp in the phrase by hazard)

a gambling game played with two dice

real tennis

the receiver's side of the court
one of the winning openings

billiards a scoring stroke made either when a ball other than the striker's is pocketed (winning hazard) or the striker's cue ball itself (losing hazard)

verb (tr)

to chance or risk

to venture (an opinion, guess, etc)

to expose to danger

Derived forms of hazard

hazardable, adjectivehazard-free, adjective

Word Origin for hazard

C13: from Old French hasard, from Arabic az-zahr the die

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

hazard

OTHER WORDS FOR hazard

OPPOSITES FOR hazard

Idioms about hazard

Origin of hazard

synonym study for hazard

OTHER WORDS FROM hazard

Words nearby hazard

Words related to hazard

How to use hazard in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for hazard

Derived forms of hazard

Word Origin for hazard