hazardous

adjective

haz·ard·ous | \ ˈha-zər-dəs

Definition of hazardous

1 : involving or exposing one to risk (as of loss or harm) a hazardous occupation disposing of hazardous waste

2 : depending on the effect of unpredictable and unanalyzable forces in determining events : depending on hazard (see hazard entry 1 sense 2a) or chance hazardous outcomes

Other Words from hazardous Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about hazardous

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Choose the Right Synonym for hazardous

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

Examples of hazardous in a Sentence

It was a hazardous voyage. These are hazardous chemicals that can cause death if inhaled.

Recent Examples on the Web

Every year, the average American throws away 70 pounds of clothing, sending massive amounts of textiles to landfills or incinerators and contributing to the emission of hazardous greenhouse gases, which speeds up climate change. — Tabor Wordelman, Teen Vogue, "Your Yoga Pants Are Polluting the Water You Drink," 19 Dec. 2018 Its founder noted that the agreement only covers workers from Samsung’s chip and LCD segments, and claimed that workers from Samsung’s electro-mechanics, enterprise IT and battery divisions have also been affected by handling hazardous substances. — Jon Porter, The Verge, "Samsung agrees to compensate victims of work-related diseases a decade after first complaints," 26 Nov. 2018 Both vents continued to release hazardous gases late on May 8, according to the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency. — Karen Zurawski, Houston Chronicle, "Willowfork Fire Department sets June grand opening of fire station," 15 May 2018 Erupting volcanoes spew the hazardous sulfur dioxide gas. — Nicole Chavez, CNN, "Trump declares 'major disaster' in Hawaii after volcanic eruptions and lava," 12 May 2018 Linde North America, one of the world’s largest industrial gas suppliers, has just launched a virtual reality training course for its drivers designed to improve safety and accuracy in the loading and unloading of hazardous liquid gases. — Jay Samit, Fortune, "How Virtual Reality Is Improving Trucker Safety for UPS and Other Suppliers," 11 Apr. 2018 Worse still, because the scooters are dockless, they are left literally anywhere, which can be hazardous. — Cyrus Farivar, Ars Technica, "Oakland official: “We want to get Americans out of their cars and solve racism”," 12 Dec. 2018 The animals’ ovaries are over a metre deep inside them, meaning that the extraction procedure, which employs a probe with a sharp needle attached to it to suck the eggs out, is hazardous. — The Economist, "IVF may bring northern white rhinos back from the brink of extinction," 4 July 2018 Supporters said the aging building is in disrepair and is hazardous for visitors to navigate, but critics said the more than $700 million planned for the project could be better spent elsewhere. — Jonathan J. Cooper, The Christian Science Monitor, "California sees $9 billion surplus, passes budget to help poor," 15 June 2018

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