Meaning & use
dangerous
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Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Likely to cause harm, injury or death.
Grammar: Before a noun or after a verb: a dangerous road; the road is dangerous. Often followed by to or for.
Patterns
- dangerous to someone
- dangerous for someone
- it is dangerous to do something
The icy mountain road was dangerous.
It is dangerous to swim here alone.
Some chemicals are dangerous to children.
adjectivecomparable
Describing a person who may attack or break the law, or who may cause serious trouble.
Grammar: Applied to people: a dangerous criminal.
Patterns
- a dangerous man
- considered dangerous
Police warned the public that the man was dangerous.
A dangerous driver weaved through the traffic.
The judge called him a dangerous offender.
adjectivecomparablefigurative
Carrying a risk of failure or bad results, though not physically harmful.
Grammar: Often figurative with idea, assumption or precedent.
Patterns
- a dangerous idea
- a dangerous precedent
Ignoring the problem is a dangerous strategy.
The ruling sets a dangerous precedent.
It is dangerous to assume everything will go well.
Word forms
| comparative | more dangerous |
|---|---|
| superlative | most dangerous |
Common combinations
- dangerous situation
- They found themselves in a dangerous situation.
- highly dangerous
- Handling chemicals without gloves is highly dangerous.
- dangerous animal
- The bear is a dangerous animal.
- dangerous driving
- He was fined for dangerous driving.
- potentially dangerous
- The loose wire is potentially dangerous.
- dangerous to
- Smoking is dangerous to your health.
Synonyms and how they differ
- hazardous
- Hazardous is more formal and often used for materials and work conditions, while dangerous is the everyday term.
- risky
- Risky suggests a chance of loss or failure, not always physical harm.
- unsafe
- Unsafe is milder and suggests not protected from harm rather than actively threatening.
- perilous
- Perilous is literary and suggests extreme danger, often in a journey or situation.
Opposites
Word family
- danger noun
- the possibility of harm
- dangerously adverb
- in a way that could cause harm
- endanger verb
- to put in danger
- endangered adjective
- at risk of dying out
Commonly confused: dangerous or dangerously?
dangerous vs dangerously
Dangerously is the adverb used with verbs and adjectives: dangerously close; dangerous modifies nouns.
Practice
It is ______ to drive through floodwater, even when it looks shallow.
Choose one answer.
After 'It is' we need the adjective dangerous. Dangerously is an adverb and cannot follow is in this pattern.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “dangerous”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.