dan ‧ ger ‧ ous S2 W2 /ˈdeɪndʒ ə rəs/ BrE AmE adjective
[ Word Family: adjective : ↑ endangered , ↑ dangerous ; verb : ↑ endanger ; noun : ↑ danger ; adverb : ↑ dangerously ]
1 . able or likely to harm or kill you ⇨ harmful :
laws about dangerous dogs
Some of these prisoners are extremely dangerous.
highly/very dangerous
it was a highly dangerous situation.
dangerous for
The crumbling sidewalks are dangerous for old people.
dangerous to
The virus is probably not dangerous to humans.
it is dangerous for somebody to do something
It’s dangerous for a woman to walk alone at night.
The powdered milk was not as good as breast milk, and was downright dangerous (=actually dangerous) when it was mixed with unclean water.
2 . involving a lot of risk, or likely to cause problems SYN risky :
The business is in a dangerous financial position.
a politically dangerous strategy
3 . dangerous ground/territory a situation or subject that could make someone very angry or upset:
Teachers can be on dangerous ground if they discuss religion.
—dangerously adverb :
people who drive dangerously
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ dangerous likely to cause death or serious harm, or cause something bad to happen:
Snow and ice are making driving conditions very dangerous.
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dangerous drugs
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a dangerous criminal
▪ risky if something is risky, something bad could easily happen or you could easily make a mistake:
Doctors said it was too risky to operate.
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a risky situation
▪ hazardous /ˈhæzədəs $ -zər-/ especially written dangerous – used especially about substances, jobs, and journeys:
hazardous waste
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hazardous chemicals
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hazardous occupations
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The expedition was extremely hazardous.
▪ unsafe dangerous because someone is very likely to be hurt – used especially about places or conditions:
The roads are unsafe for cyclists.
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unsafe working conditions
▪ treacherous /ˈtretʃərəs/ formal literary places or conditions that are treacherous are very dangerous for anyone who is walking, driving, climbing etc in them:
The snow turned to ice, making conditions treacherous for walkers.
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the island’s treacherous coastline
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With no lighting, the roads can be treacherous.
▪ perilous /ˈperələs, ˈperɪləs/ literary a perilous journey, situation etc is very dangerous:
a perilous journey across the sea
▪ high-risk [only before noun] a high-risk job, situation, or behaviour is likely to be dangerous:
Drug users need to know that sharing needles is high-risk behaviour.