Meaning & use
flirting with danger
Last updated
“flirting with danger” is a form of “flirt with danger”.
Meaning
phraseidiom
taking a big risk that could lead to serious trouble or harm.
Grammar: This is the -ing form of the idiom 'flirt with danger'. It is often used after verbs like 'be' or 'keep': 'He is flirting with danger.'
Patterns
- be flirting with danger
- keep flirting with danger
Driving without a seatbelt is flirting with danger.
By ignoring the doctor's advice, he was flirting with danger.
The company is flirting with danger by releasing the product without proper testing.
Word forms
| base form | flirt with danger |
|---|---|
| third person singular | flirts with danger |
| present participle | flirting with danger |
| past tense | flirted with danger |
| past participle | flirted with danger |
Common combinations
- be flirting with danger
- You're flirting with danger if you keep speeding like that.
- keep flirting with danger
- He keeps flirting with danger by not wearing a helmet.
- flirt with disaster
- The team flirted with disaster when they ignored the safety rules.
Synonyms and how they differ
- playing with fire
- Very similar in meaning and tone, but it often suggests that the danger is exciting or forbidden.
- risking it
- More general and less vivid; it can refer to any kind of risk, not just serious danger.
- tempting fate
- Suggests that you are challenging luck or destiny, often when you are being overconfident.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: flirting with danger or flirting with someone?
flirting with danger vs flirting with someone
This means behaving romantically toward someone. 'Flirting with danger' is figurative and has nothing to do with romance.
Practice
What does 'flirting with danger' mean?
Choose one answer.
The idiom means taking a big risk. Option A confuses it with the literal meaning of 'flirt', and C and D are opposites or unrelated.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “flirting with danger”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.