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danger Definition

dan·ger (dān′jər)

noun

  1. liability to injury, damage, loss or pain; peril to live in constant danger
  2. a thing that may cause injury, pain, etc.
  3. Obsolete power of a lord, esp. to harm

Etymology: ME daunger, power, domination, arrogance < OFr danger, absolute power of an overlord < VL *dominarium < L dominium, lordship < dominus, a master: see dominate

danger Synonyms

danger

n.

risk, peril, jeopardy, threat, hazard, insecurity, uncertainty, instability, exposure, venture, destabilizing factor, menace, precariousness, vulnerability, slipperiness, shakiness, treacherousness, endangerment, emergency, crisis, exigency, predicament, precipice, thin ice*.

Antonyms safety*, security*, certainty.

danger is the general term for liability to injury or evil, of whatever degree or likelihood of occurrence the danger of falling on icy walks; peril suggests great and imminent danger in peril of death; jeopardy emphasizes exposure to extreme danger liberty is in jeopardy under tyrants; hazard implies a foreseeable but uncontrollable possibility of danger, but stresses the element of chance the hazards of hunting big game; risk implies the voluntary taking of a dangerous chance

danger Usage Examples

Preposition: of

  • frost: In colder areas do not prune untill all danger of frost is past.
  • collapse: This famous 4,500 year-old Wiltshire monument, part of the Avebury World Heritage Site, is in serious danger of collapse.
  • proliferation: It is dominated by the all too real danger of the proliferation of ' weapons of mass destruction ' .
  • smoking: The dangers of smoking should be well and truely highlighted to put off any new smokers, in addition to a complete smoking ban.
  • asbestos: Hundreds of schools across the UK are putting children at increased risk from developing lung cancer by ignoring the danger of asbestos in classrooms.

Converse of object

  • pose: However, in certain documented situations, a CAT may pose a danger to the user.
  • highlight: He was also the first to highlight the dangers of AIDS to his fellow countrymen.
  • avoid: He avoided the deadly dangers of a wrong attitude to wealth.
  • perceive: Perhaps when they have seen huge spiders on T.V. being handled without mishap, the perceived danger from our tiny native specimens seems less.
  • realize: Little did they realize the extra danger they were placing the ship in by their preparations.
  • eliminate: This eliminates the danger of over charging the battery.

Adjective modifier

  • imminent: Nor was there any medical evidence of imminent danger to his health.
  • grave: Marco's irresponsible attitude inadvertently puts his mother's life in grave danger.
  • inherent: The young people recognized the inherent danger of being overlooked, bullied or not achieving their potential.
  • mortal: All shifts in the situation whether to the right or the left are of mortal danger to them.
  • immediate: Whilst the vessel is probably not in immediate danger of falling to pieces, a great deal could be done to improve things.
  • real: Now the real dangers can be seen with the attempt to rewrite British history.

Modifies a noun

zone: The goal is to get the dog out of the danger zone.

Noun used with modifier

  • avalanche: Beware of going into the Red Burn which has steep drops and possible avalanche danger.
  • stranger: Officers later spoke to local school children about stranger danger.

Browse dictionary entries near danger

  1. ‹ dang
  2. ‹ Danelaw
  3. ‹ Danegeld
  4. ‹ Dane
  5. ‹ dandy roll
  6. ‹ dandy
  7. ‹ dandruff
  8. ‹ Dandong
  9. ‹ dandle
  10. ‹ dandify
  1. dangerous ›
  2. dangerous weapon ›
  3. dangerously ›
  4. dangle ›
  5. dangleberry ›
  6. Daniel ›
  7. Danielle ›
  8. Daniels ›
  9. danio ›
  10. Danish ›