hazard

1 of 2

noun

haz·​ard ˈha-zərd 

plural hazards

1

: a source of danger

hazards on the roadway

2

a

: the effect of unpredictable and unanalyzable forces in determining events : chance, risk

the hazards involved in owning your own business

Men and women danced together, women danced together, men danced together, as hazard had brought them together.

—Charles Dickens

b

: a chance event : accident

… looked like a fugitive, who had escaped from something in clothes caught up at hazard.

—Willa Cather

3

hazards plural : special lights on a vehicle that flash on and off and are used to warn other drivers (as when the vehicle is not working properly) : hazard lights

If you do break down or crash, immediately turn on your hazards.

—Shape

Drivers should also turn off their hazards when signaling to exit the highway.

—John Cichowski

4

: a golf-course obstacle (such as a bunker or a pond)

5

: a game of chance like craps played with two dice

6

obsolete : stake sense 3a

hazard

2 of 2

verb

hazarded; hazarding; hazards

transitive verb

: to offer or present at a risk : venture

hazard a guess as to the outcome

Phrases

at hazard

: at stake

Did you know?

At first hazard was a game of chance played with dice. The English word comes from medieval French, in which the game was called hasard. This French word was probably borrowed from Arabic az-zahr, meaning “the dice” or “one of the dice.” The game was borrowed from the French by the English, and within a few centuries what had been a chance taken on the outcome of a throw of the dice could be any venture or risk. Now “chance” or “venture” and “risk” or “peril” are the usual meanings of hazard. The verb hazard emerged in the 16th century.

Synonyms

Noun

• danger
• imminence
• menace
• peril
• pitfall
• risk
• threat
• trouble

Verb

• adventure
• compromise
• endanger
• gamble (with)
• imperil
• jeopard
• jeopardize
• menace
• peril
• risk
• venture

Examples of hazard in a Sentence

Noun

the tumbledown old barn was considered a fire hazard

it was only by hazard and good fortune that we found our way back to the trail

Verb

His friend asked him to hazard a small sum in a business venture.

just so the tourists could see the sea lions up close, the captain needlessly hazarded his ship

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Unpredictable rains flood the roads and create health hazards. —New York Times, 4 Nov. 2024

Removable tokens and figurines could become choking hazards to young children, so be aware of age limitations on those as well. —Cheryl Fenton, Parents, 2 Nov. 2024

Verb

In the end, the United States must be so strong and determined that Russia and other adversaries don’t want to hazard actions that compel it to carry out its threats. —Kori Schake, Foreign Affairs, 8 Nov. 2024

Mary, care to hazard a guess as to who’s behind that mask? —Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French hasard, from Old Spanish azar, from Arabic al-zahr the die

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 5

Verb

circa 1601, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing hazard

• hazard lights
• hazard pay
• moral hazard
• occupational hazard
• traffic hazard

Kids Definition

hazard

1 of 2 noun

haz·​ard ˈhaz-ərd 

1

: a game of chance played with two dice

2

: chance entry 1 sense 1, accident

3

: a source of danger

4

: an obstacle on a golf course

hazard

2 of 2 verb

: venture entry 1 sense 1, risk

hazard a guess

Etymology

Noun

Middle English hazard "game of chance," from early French hasard (same meaning), from Arabic az-zahr "the die (one of the dice)"

Word Origin

Hazard was at first a game of chance played with dice. The English word comes from an early form of French, in which the game was called hasard. This French word was probably borrowed during the time of the Crusades from Arabic az-zahr, meaning "the die (one of the dice)." The game was borrowed from the French by the English, and within a few centuries, what had been a chance taken on the outcome of a throw of the dice could be any venture or risk. Now "chance" or "venture" and "risk" or "peril" are the usual meanings of hazard.

Legal Definition

hazard

noun

haz·​ard ˈha-zərd 

: a condition that tends to create or increase the possibility of loss

—used especially in insurance law