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a dangerous situation
an unsafe situation
a hazardous situation
a risky situation
a scary situation
a serious situation
dangerous precedent
troublesome precedent
perilous precedent
awful precedent
unhealthy precedent
horrible precedent
dangerous levels
unhealthy levels
risky levels
toxic levels
deadly levels
hazardous levels
a dangerous enemy
a powerful enemy
a deadly enemy
a potent enemy
a wicked enemy
a threatening enemy

Synonym Chooser

How is the word dangerous distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of dangerous are hazardous, perilous, precarious, and risky. While all these words mean "bringing or involving the chance of loss or injury," dangerous applies to something that may cause harm or loss unless dealt with carefully.

soldiers on a dangerous mission

When could hazardous be used to replace dangerous?

The meanings of hazardous and dangerous largely overlap; however, hazardous implies great and continuous risk of harm or failure.

claims that smoking is hazardous to your health

When can perilous be used instead of dangerous?

The synonyms perilous and dangerous are sometimes interchangeable, but perilous strongly implies the immediacy of danger.

perilous mountain roads

When might precarious be a better fit than dangerous?

In some situations, the words precarious and dangerous are roughly equivalent. However, precarious suggests both insecurity and uncertainty.

earned a precarious living by gambling

When is it sensible to use risky instead of dangerous?

The words risky and dangerous can be used in similar contexts, but risky often applies to a known and accepted danger.

shied away from risky investments

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dangerous The child protection organization says children with autism may be drawn to dangerous environments such as bodies of water, construction sites, highways and train tracks. Elizabeth Chuck, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024 Despite the desperate cries for help, Governor Newsom and the state Legislature sabotaged efforts to pass common sense bills to strengthen the state’s theft and drug laws, playing a dangerous game of chicken with the state’s district attorneys in the hopes of derailing Prop. 36. Todd Spitzer, Orange County Register, 11 Nov. 2024 Rough streets can wear down cars and be dangerous for cyclists. Kate Talerico, The Mercury News, 9 Nov. 2024 Failure would be deeply embarrassing and, more pressingly, dangerous for the planet. Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for dangerous 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dangerous
Adjective
  • Severe thunderstorms were part of the hazardous weather advisory, too, that kicked off the week, with residents advised also to prepare for an elevated risk of tornadoes, flash floods and significant winds.
    Penny Weaver, arkansasonline.com, 5 Nov. 2024
  • The concern is not that the Ukrainian military would do something hazardous with loose nukes.
    William M. Moon, Foreign Affairs, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Working out prior to menopause will reduce the risk of osteoporosis in your later years. And avoid harmful habits – smoking and heavy alcohol consumption can weaken bone density and increase the risk of fractures.
    Jianying Zhang, Discover Magazine, 8 Nov. 2024
  • Albanese cited the risks to the physical and mental health of children from excessive social media use, in particular the risks to girls from harmful depictions of body image and misogynist content aimed at boys.
    Reuters, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Lower interest rates paired with less strict regulations under a second Trump administration could drive riskier market moves, which could fuel what have been somewhat sleepy sectors over the last few years.
    Rocio Fabbro, Quartz, 13 Nov. 2024
  • Tesla has staked its financial future on a pivot to autonomous robotaxis, a risky pursuit facing serious regulatory hurdles.
    Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Most vapes contain nicotine, which comes from tobacco and can be detrimental to the parts of a young person's brain that oversee learning, attention, impulse control and mood.
    Mimi Montgomery, Axios, 4 Nov. 2024
  • Ohio State has already dropped a game this year so another loss could be detrimental to their seeding down the line.
    David Faris, Newsweek, 2 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • The young boy embarks on a perilous journey deep into the mountains to confront the spirit and prevent the destruction of his village.
    Patrick Frater, Variety, 5 Nov. 2024
  • In a city dotted with rubble and flames, the journey home is perilous.
    Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 1 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Still, the storm is threatening to bring flooding rain, mudslides, damaging winds and dangerous surf and rip current conditions to Cuba, which is still reeling from the collapse of its electrical grid and Hurricane Oscar.
    Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 5 Nov. 2024
  • These new storms are capable of a few tornadoes, ping pong ball-sized hail, and 75 mph damaging winds.
    Chris Boyette, CNN, 3 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • The Trump administration now needs to get serious about shaping regional and global conventions around digital trade, anticorruption, and intellectual property rights to counter Beijing’s efforts to bend weaker states to its will and obstruct U.S. economic access.
    Michael Green, Foreign Affairs, 19 Nov. 2024
  • Here’s where the fun stuff turns into serious stuff.
    Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 16 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • The filing details the company's ongoing legal proceedings, including actions against former executives and other entities, with no material adverse effect expected on the company's financial condition.
    Quartz Bot, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024
  • BFRs are linked to a host of adverse health effects including endocrine, liver and kidney toxicity, cancer, adverse effects of fetal and child development, and more, according to The National Institute of Health Sciences.
    Kristin Hostetter, Outside Online, 13 Nov. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near dangerous

Cite this Entry

“Dangerous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dangerous. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on dangerous

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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