dangerous

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adjective dan·ger·ous \ ˈdān-jə-rəs ; ˈdān-jərs , -zhrəs \

Definition of dangerous

1 :involving possible injury, pain, harm, or loss :characterized by danger

a dangerous job

2 :able or likely to inflict injury or harm

a dangerous man

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dangerously

adverb

—

dangerousness

noun

See dangerous defined for English-language learners

See dangerous defined for kids

Examples of dangerous in a Sentence

She got into a car accident while driving through a dangerous intersection.
He often drives at dangerous speeds.
The city can be a dangerous place to live.
The storms may cause dangerous flooding.
He is wanted for assault with a dangerous weapon.
the most dangerous of drugs

Recent Examples of dangerous from the Web

The more insidious and ubiquitous molds, though, produce no acutely dangerous mycotoxins but can still trigger inflammatory reactions, allergies, and asthma.

— james hamblin, The Atlantic, "The Looming Consequences of Breathing Mold," 30 Aug. 2017
That fear, combined with a shortage of officers, has led some to engage in dangerous practices, the report says.

— jsonline.com, "Trust damaged between Milwaukee police and community, Department of Justice draft report says," 30 Aug. 2017
But this does not mean that preseason is more dangerous than the regular season or that its elimination would reduce tears.

— profootballdoc, sandiegouniontribune.com, "There is no increased ACL epidemic in NFL, but also no way to ensure decrease," 28 Aug. 2017
The intersection of those two gigs is even more dangerous.

— jack holmes, Esquire, "A Fourth Russian Ambassador in 9 Months Is Now Dead," 24 Aug. 2017
In the meantime, the deaths have focused new attention on whether the whales' range is shifting northward, putting more of the animals in dangerous waters.

— erik stokstad, Science | AAAS, "Endangered right whales are dying in record numbers off Canada, raising alarm," 24 Aug. 2017
The National Weather Service said the flooding was a dangerous situation and that drivers should not enter flooded roadways.

— robert a. cronkleton, joe robertson and tony rizzo, kansascity, "Torrential rains cause historic flooding, strand residents in southern Kansas City," 22 Aug. 2017
Speed surveys are used to set the speed limit and what’s known as critical speed, which is determined by how fast 85 percent of drivers are traveling during free-flowing traffic; anything above the critical speed is considered dangerous.

— susan carpenter, Los Angeles Magazine, "Inside The Audacious Plan to Eliminate Traffic Deaths in L.A.," 21 Aug. 2017
No one has a clear idea of what is accepted and what is not on these platforms and, in many respects, that ambiguity is more dangerous than anything.

— nick bilton, vanityfair.com, "Can Silicon Valley Disrupt Its Neo-Nazi Problem?," 17 Aug. 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of dangerous

see ¹danger

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

dangerous Synonyms

Near Antonyms

advantageous, beneficial, good; ultrasafe

Synonym Discussion of dangerous

dangerous, hazardous, precarious, perilous, risky 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

hazardous implies great and continuous risk of harm or failure.

- claims that smoking is hazardous to your health

precarious suggests both insecurity and uncertainty.

- earned a precarious living by gambling

perilous strongly implies the immediacy of danger.

- perilous mountain roads

risky often applies to a known and accepted danger.

- shied away from risky investments

DANGEROUS Defined for English Language Learners

dangerous

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adjective

Definition of dangerous for English Language Learners

: involving possible injury, harm, or death : characterized by danger
: able or likely to cause injury, pain, harm, etc.

DANGEROUS Defined for Kids

dangerous

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adjective dan·ger·ous \ ˈdān-jə-rəs , ˈdānj-rəs \

Definition of dangerous for Students

1 :involving possible harm or death :full of danger

dangerous work

2 :able or likely to injure

A chain saw is a dangerous tool.

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dangerously

adverb

Law Dictionary

dangerous

adjective dan·ger·ous

legal Definition of dangerous

1 :creating a risk of bodily injury

a dangerous condition of a public building

2 :able or likely to inflict especially serious bodily injury

a dangerous criminal with no regard for human life

a dangerous animal

; also :deadly

3 :likely to engage in repeated criminal activity

a dangerous offender

Note: The activity that an offender is likely to engage in need not involve violence in order for the offender to be deemed dangerous.

Learn More about dangerous

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for dangerous Spanish Central: Translation of dangerous Nglish: Translation of dangerous for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of dangerous for Arabic speakers

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Examples of dangerous in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of dangerous

dangerous Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

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Near Antonyms

Synonym Discussion of dangerous

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DANGEROUS Defined for English Language Learners

dangerous

Definition of dangerous for English Language Learners

DANGEROUS Defined for Kids

dangerous

Definition of dangerous for Students

dangerously

Law Dictionary

dangerous

legal Definition of dangerous

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