danger

noun dan·ger \ ˈdān-jər \

Updated on: 19 May 2018

Definition of danger

1 a archaic : jurisdiction

You stand within his danger, do you not?
—Shakespeare

b obsolete : reach, range

… out of the shot and danger of desire.
—Shakespeare

2 obsolete : harm, damage

… a sting in him that at his will he may do danger with.
—Shakespeare

3 : exposure or liability to injury, pain, harm, or loss

a place where children could play without danger

was assured her job was not in danger

4 : a case or cause of danger

the dangers of mining

See danger defined for English-language learners

See danger defined for kids

Examples of danger in a Sentence

I was unaware of the danger that lay ahead.
She was fearless in the face of danger.
The sign on the door read “Danger. Keep out.”
There's less danger that you'll lose your money if you have a wide variety of investments.
There's a danger that your apology will be taken as a sign of weakness.
The danger is that we'll become careless as the process becomes more familiar.
It's important to teach your children about the dangers of smoking.
Here is a list of possible dangers associated with the procedure.
We believe it poses a serious danger to our national security.

Recent Examples of danger from the Web

Paul called the police to report that Schifter was in imminent danger of taking his life.

— jessica pressler, Daily Intelligencer, "The Tragic End to a Longtime Black-Car Driver’s Campaign Against Uber," 15 May 2018
This might mean a familiar face in the room could be in danger of losing a roster spot.

— larry holder, NOLA.com, "Saints finally stable at linebacker, but who plays where?," 15 May 2018
Successive governments have said that the list is merely a tool to help keep loose track of those in danger of turning to terrorism.

— New York Times, "Paris Knife Attacker, Born in Chechnya, Was on Terrorism Watch List," 13 May 2018
Successive governments have said that the list is merely a tool to help keep loose track of those in danger of turning to terrorism.

— new york times, BostonGlobe.com, "Terror attack spurs criticism of France’s monitoring," 13 May 2018
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is picking a horse in the race to unseat Rep. Dana Rohrabacher amid Democratic fears the party is in grave danger of being locked out of another crucial House battle in California.

— christine mai-duc, latimes.com, "Fearing another top-two lockout, Democrats give Rohrabacher challenger a boost," 11 May 2018
By Wren’s time the tower, roughly 260 feet high, was thought to be in danger of collapse.

— barrymore laurence scherer, WSJ, "A Symbol of Britain’s Will to Survive," 11 May 2018
Monday is the deadline for countries to submit their 35-man provisional squads for the World Cup and a number of big names are in danger of missing out on the finals.

— jonathan wilson, SI.com, "In or Out? Big Names Whose World Cup Fate Hangs in the Balance," 11 May 2018
With unemployment at historic lows, and the new tax changes, is the economy in danger of overheating (Yes or No)?

— phillip molnar, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Is the economy in danger of overheating?," 11 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'danger.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.