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a dangerous situation
an unsafe situation
a hazardous situation
a risky situation
a scary situation
a serious situation
dangerous precedent
troublesome precedent
perilous precedent
awful precedent
unhealthy precedent
horrible precedent
dangerous levels
unhealthy levels
risky levels
toxic levels
deadly levels
hazardous levels
a dangerous enemy
a powerful enemy
a deadly enemy
a potent enemy
a wicked enemy
a threatening enemy

Synonym Chooser

How is the word dangerous distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of dangerous are hazardous, perilous, precarious, and risky. While all these words mean "bringing or involving the chance of loss or injury," dangerous applies to something that may cause harm or loss unless dealt with carefully.

soldiers on a dangerous mission

When could hazardous be used to replace dangerous?

The meanings of hazardous and dangerous largely overlap; however, hazardous implies great and continuous risk of harm or failure.

claims that smoking is hazardous to your health

When can perilous be used instead of dangerous?

The synonyms perilous and dangerous are sometimes interchangeable, but perilous strongly implies the immediacy of danger.

perilous mountain roads

When might precarious be a better fit than dangerous?

In some situations, the words precarious and dangerous are roughly equivalent. However, precarious suggests both insecurity and uncertainty.

earned a precarious living by gambling

When is it sensible to use risky instead of dangerous?

The words risky and dangerous can be used in similar contexts, but risky often applies to a known and accepted danger.

shied away from risky investments

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dangerous However, the promise of synthetic data hides a dangerous paradox. Jēnna Reese, Forbes.com, 23 July 2025 Officials issue a heat advisory for dangerous heat conditions that are not expected to reach warning criteria, the NWS said. Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 23 July 2025 These public beaches are stinking with dangerous pollution. Letters To The Editor, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 July 2025 The federal government grants access to the dangerous drugs with virtually no guardrails. David Bereit, National Review, 22 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for dangerous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dangerous
Adjective
  • Fire crews sometimes allow lightning-strike fires to burn, and made the decision to do that on the Dragon Bravo Fire, intended to reduce hazardous fuels and vegetation along the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.
    Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 15 July 2025
  • Map of damage: See how the Texas floods unfolded and why Camp Mystic was in a hazardous location The death toll has risen to 129 on Saturday, including more than three dozen children.
    Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 14 July 2025
Adjective
  • Antisocial Anger Some teenagers express their anger through harmful behaviors such as threatening others, vandalism, skipping school or using drugs.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025
  • Independent testing confirms that the supplement contains the ingredients listed on the label and is free from harmful contaminants.
    Kirstyn Hill, Health, 15 July 2025
Adjective
  • The daredevil had done many things riskier, of course, including a BASE jump off of the Christ The Redeemer Statue in Brazil.
    Jim Clash, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025
  • The chairman of the Texas Democratic Party had blunt words for his counterparts in Washington and elsewhere who might be urging Democrats in the Legislature to take politically risky action.
    John C. Moritz, Austin American Statesman, 18 July 2025
Adjective
  • The platform was recently accused by several state attorneys general of implementing addictive features across its family of apps that have detrimental effects on children’s mental health.
    Zach Vallese, CNBC, 23 July 2025
  • Water is a systemic need for plants of all types; however, too much water, whether supplied by rain or irrigation, is detrimental.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 20 July 2025
Adjective
  • To a Washington bean counter, his loss might have looked like one tiny but welcome subtraction in a giant spreadsheet, but not in a region so prone to these perilous events that it’s known as Flash Flood Alley.
    Zeynep Tufekci, Mercury News, 10 July 2025
  • Brown, like Espada, is often put in perilous predicaments while trying to discuss any of these developments.
    Chandler Rome, New York Times, 10 July 2025
Adjective
  • The Baltimore area is under a flood watch, as thunderstorms and damaging winds are possible Monday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.
    Baltimore Sun staff, Baltimore Sun, 14 July 2025
  • Stay away from windows as flying debris generated by damaging winds can be deadly.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 13 July 2025
Adjective
  • This surge in extreme heat drives up energy demand and poses serious health risks to vulnerable populations.
    Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 24 July 2025
  • But her feelings begin to shift after Steven gets into a serious car accident.
    Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 23 July 2025
Adjective
  • The team identified three distinct behavioral phenotypes as a result of their experiments, representing the varying sensitivity of people to the adverse consequences (punishment) of their actions.
    Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 24 July 2025
  • Without such data, the systems can serve adverse, false results or fail to understand the context of a user’s query, among other issues.
    Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 22 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Dangerous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dangerous. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on dangerous

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