INDEX:
1. not in danger of being killed, harmed, or attacked
2. not in danger of being lost, stolen, or damaged
3. a safe place
4. when something is not likely to cause harm
5. activities or people who make people and places safer
RELATED WORDS
opposite
↑ DANGEROUS
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1. not in danger of being killed, harmed, or attacked
▷ safe /seɪf/ [adjective not before noun]
▪ Do you think she’ll be safe in the house all alone?
▪ As long as we keep to the main road we should be safe.
safe from
▪ The turtles lay their eggs in the damp sand where they are safe from predators.
safe and sound
safe and unharmed, especially after being in danger
▪ The missing children were eventually found at a friend’s house, safe and sound.
▷ safely /ˈseɪfli/ [adverb]
if you do something safely, you succeed in doing it without being killed, harmed, or attacked :
▪ Once we were safely back on shore, we checked the boat for damage.
▪ Most air travellers would be prepared to pay more to be sure of travelling safely.
▷ safety /ˈseɪfti/ [uncountable noun]
when you are safe from danger or harm :
▪ The boy has been missing for six days, and there are fears for his safety.
for somebody’s safety
so that someone is safe
▪ For your own safety, please do not smoke until you are outside the plane.
▪ For the safety of the public, this man must be caught.
in safety
▪ Our planes are regularly serviced, so that passengers can be sure they are travelling in safety.
▷ be out of danger /biː ˌaʊt əv ˈdeɪndʒəʳ/ [verb phrase]
to be safe, after being in a dangerous situation :
▪ Once out of danger, he relaxed. ‘Phew, that could have been nasty’.
▪ Mary raced on, thankful for her escape. Even now, however, she was not out of danger.
▷ secure /sɪˈkjʊəʳ/ [adjective]
feeling safe and free from danger :
▪ The children all slept together in the same bed, snug and secure.
▪ She felt much more secure now that she had put a bolt on the door.
safe and secure
▪ Children need to feel safe and secure about the world they grow up in.
▷ security /sɪˈkjʊ ə rɪti, sɪˈkjʊ ə rəti/ [uncountable noun]
freedom from harm or danger, especially from the danger of being robbed, killed, or attacked :
for somebody’s security
▪ For the security of passengers, all hand baggage is carefully checked.
false sense of security
when you feel safe but in fact you are not
▪ His wide-eyed innocence had lulled me into a false sense of security.
▷ be in good/safe hands /biː ɪn ˌgʊd, ˌseɪf ˈhændz/ [verb phrase]
if someone such as a child or sick person is in good hands, they are safe because doctors or other responsible people are looking after them :
▪ Don’t worry about the children. They’re in safe hands with Monica.
▪ Although Grandad was very ill in hospital, it was a comfort for us to know he was in good hands.
2. not in danger of being lost, stolen, or damaged
▷ safe /seɪf/ [adjective not before noun]
▪ Your money will be safer in the bank.
it is safe to do something
something will be safe if you do it
▪ Would it be safer to park my car in the driveway?
keep something safe
▪ I’m trusting you with these documents, so make sure you keep them safe.
▷ secure /sɪˈkjʊəʳ/ [adjective]
safe, especially from thieves or other criminals :
▪ Make sure the building is completely secure before you leave.
▪ If your password gets known by anyone else, your data may not be secure.
secure from
▪ He kept his savings under his bed, secure from the prying eyes of his roommate.
security [uncountable noun]
▪ The security of the information depends on how many people know the access code.
▷ be as safe as houses /biː əz ˌseɪf əz ˈhaʊzə̇z/ [verb phrase] British
if your money or savings are as safe as houses, they are completely safe :
▪ There’s no financial risk. Your money is as safe as houses with us.
3. a safe place
▷ safe /seɪf/ [adjective]
▪ We want the streets to be safe for our children.
in a safe place
▪ Keep the receipt in a safe place.
from/at a safe distance
far enough away from something dangerous
▪ Mothers held on to their children tightly, letting them watch the fireworks from a safe distance.
(at) a safe distance from something
▪ Hiding in the hedge a safe distance from the truck, she waited for the man to appear.
▷ be out of harm’s way /biː ˌaʊt əv ˌhɑːʳmz ˈweɪ/ [verb phrase]
if someone or something is out of harm’s way, they are in a place where they cannot be hurt or damaged :
▪ She put the glass vases on the top shelf, out of harm’s way.
well out of harm’s way
▪ The device sends the fish to the bottom of the pond, well out of harm’s way.
▷ safety /ˈseɪfti/ [uncountable noun]
a place where you are safe from danger :
reach safety
▪ By the time the men reached safety, they were exhausted and half starved.
the safety of something
▪ She rushed back to the safety of her own house.
carry/lead/take somebody to safety
▪ The firefighters carried the children to safety.
▪ A film cameraman was airlifted to safety yesterday after being trapped inside a volcano for two days.
▷ refuge /ˈrefjuːdʒ/ [countable/uncountable noun]
a place where you can go in order to escape from a dangerous or unpleasant situation :
refuge from
▪ The basement provided us with a refuge from the fighting.
refuge for
▪ The Allies are being asked to provide more refuges for those fleeing the fighting.
place of refuge
▪ Zurich’s importance as a business centre grew, as did its reputation as a place of refuge.
take refuge
go somewhere that is safe
▪ During the flooding, people took refuge in the hills.
seek refuge from something
try to find a safe place, to escape from a dangerous situation
▪ Thousands of families came here seeking refuge from the civil war.
▷ haven /ˈheɪv ə n/ [countable noun]
a peaceful place where people go in order to escape from danger or suffering, and where they feel very safe :
haven for
▪ She finally found a place to escape to, a small haven for herself and her daughter.
▪ The church is a haven of peace in one of London’s busiest areas.
safe haven
a safe place
▪ The massacre took place in what was supposed to be a UN safe haven.
▷ sanctuary /ˈsæŋktʃuəri, -tʃəriǁ-tʃueri/ [countable noun]
a peaceful place that is safe and provides protection, especially for people who are in danger :
▪ I thought of my bedroom as a sanctuary.
▪ The Church should be a sanctuary for the oppressed.
4. when something is not likely to cause harm
▷ safe /seɪf/ [adjective]
a safe activity, journey, way of doing something etc does not involve any danger :
▪ Flying is one of the safest forms of travel.
▪ Bye Sarah, have a safe journey.
▪ the safe disposal of radioactive waste
▪ Dr Williams said the drug would continue to be used because it was safe for most patients.
it is safe to do something
▪ Is it safe to swim in the water here?
safe sex
sex that avoids the risk of disease
▪ Do teenagers know enough about safe sex and contraception?
perfectly safe
used especially to emphasize to someone that something is safe
▪ Our buses have to pass a safety test each year and are perfectly safe.
safely [adverb]
▪ The nuclear waste is safely buried in the deepest part of the ocean.
▷ harmless /ˈhɑːʳmləs/ [adjective]
an animal or chemical that is harmless will not harm or injure anyone, even though it may seem dangerous :
▪ Our dog makes a lot of noise, but he’s perfectly harmless.
▪ We need to persuade parents that almost all vaccines are harmless.
harmless to
▪ Essential oils are harmless to skin, provided they are used correctly.
5. activities or people who make people and places safer
▷ security /sɪˈkjʊ ə rɪti, sɪˈkjʊ ə rəti/ [uncountable noun]
things that are done to make sure that someone does not get attacked or robbed :
▪ They need to improve security here - anyone could just walk in.
▪ Security has been increased at all airports in the wake of the attacks.
security measures/checks/procedures
▪ Strict security measures were in force during the President’s visit.
security guard/man
▪ A uniformed security man met them at the gate.
tight security
very careful security
▪ There is tight security at the airport and all baggage is being searched.
high security
carefully protected or made safe
▪ a high security prison
▷ safety /ˈseɪfti/ [uncountable noun]
ways of preventing dangerous accidents :
▪ Safety needs to be improved on all our railways.
safety measures/checks/precautions
▪ We handle many chemicals that require special safety precautions.
road safety
rules and methods for using roads safely
▪ All children should be taught road safety from an early age.
health and safety
▪ All employees will be issued with a health and safety handbook.