danger

[ deyn-jer ]

noun

1. liability or exposure to harm or injury; risk; peril.
2. an instance or cause of peril; menace.
3. Obsolete. power; jurisdiction; domain.

danger

/ ˈdeɪndʒə /

noun

1. the state of being vulnerable to injury, loss, or evil; risk
2. a person or thing that may cause injury, pain, etc
3. obsolete.
   power
4. in danger of
   liable to
5. on the danger list
   critically ill in hospital

Derived Forms

• ˈdangerless, adjective

Other Words From

• danger·less adjective
• super·danger noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of danger¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English da(u)nger, from Anglo-French, Old French dangier, alteration of dongier (by influence of dam damage ), from Vulgar Latin domniārium (unrecorded), equivalent to Latin domini(um) dominion + -ārium (neuter of -ārius -ary )

Word History and Origins

Origin of danger¹

C13: daunger power, hence power to inflict injury, from Old French dongier (from Latin dominium ownership) blended with Old French dam injury, from Latin damnum

Synonym Study

Danger, hazard, peril, jeopardy imply harm that one may encounter. Danger is the general word for liability to all kinds of injury or evil consequences, either near at hand and certain, or remote and doubtful: to be in danger of being killed. Hazard suggests a danger that one can foresee but cannot avoid: A mountain climber is exposed to many hazards. Peril usually denotes great and imminent danger: The passengers on the disabled ship were in great peril. Jeopardy, a less common word, has essentially the same meaning as peril, but emphasizes exposure to the chances of a situation: To save his friend he put his life in jeopardy.

Example Sentences

To Senate-watchers, the meaning of all that terseness was clear: If any of Trump’s nominees are in danger, Gabbard is at the top of the list.

From Los Angeles Times

But if other anti-Assad groups – and there are many – rise up, his regime will once again be in mortal danger.

From BBC

Police warned the incidents were being treated as the more serious offence of causing danger to road users rather than being classed as criminal damage.

From BBC

This crawling crocodile theyyam deity symbolises the power of reptiles and is venerated as a protector against their dangers.

From BBC

Or AI, or nanotechnology, or biotechnology — these are all in danger of becoming malignant because they're uncontrolled.

From Salon

Related Words

• crisis
• emergency
• exposure
• insecurity
• instability
• jeopardy
• menace
• peril
• pitfall
• possibility
• probability
• risk
• threat
• uncertainty
• vulnerability