hazard

[ haz-erd ]

noun

1. an unavoidable danger or risk, even though often foreseeable:

   The job was full of hazards.

   Antonyms: safety

2. something causing unavoidable danger, peril, risk, or difficulty:

   The many hazards of the big city did nothing to convince her to leave.

3. the absence or lack of predictability; chance; uncertainty:

   There is an element of hazard in the execution of the most painstaking plans.

   Synonyms: fortuitousness, fortuity, accident

4. Golf. a bunker, sand trap, or the like, constituting an obstacle.
5. the uncertainty of the result in throwing a die.
6. a game played with two dice, an earlier and more complicated form of craps.
7. Court Tennis. any of the winning openings.
8. (in English billiards) a stroke by which the player pockets the object ball winning hazard or their own ball after contact with another ball losing hazard.

verb (used with object)

1. to offer (a statement, conjecture, etc.) with the possibility of facing criticism, disapproval, failure, or the like; venture:

   He hazarded a guess, with trepidation, as to her motives in writing the article.

2. to put to the risk of being lost; expose to risk:

   In making the investment, he hazarded all his savings.

   Synonyms: imperil, peril, endanger, stake

3. to take or run the risk of (a misfortune, penalty, etc.):

   Thieves hazard arrest.

4. to venture upon (anything of doubtful issue):

   to hazard a dangerous encounter.

hazard

/ ˈhæzəd /

noun

1. exposure or vulnerability to injury, loss, evil, etc
2. at hazard
   at risk; in danger
3. a thing likely to cause injury, etc
4. golf an obstacle such as a bunker, a road, rough, water, etc
5. chance; accident (esp in the phrase by hazard )
6. a gambling game played with two dice
7. real tennis
   1. the receiver's side of the court
   2. one of the winning openings
8. billiards a scoring stroke made either when a ball other than the striker's is pocketed ( winning hazard ) or the striker's cue ball itself ( losing hazard )

verb

1. to chance or risk
2. to venture (an opinion, guess, etc)
3. to expose to danger

Derived Forms

• ˈhazard-ˌfree, adjective
• ˈhazardable, adjective

Other Words From

• hazard·a·ble adjective
• hazard·er noun
• hazard·less adjective
• pre·hazard adjective
• un·hazard·ed adjective
• un·hazard·ing adjective
• well-hazard·ed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of hazard¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English hasard from Old French, perhaps from Arabic al-zahr “the die”

Word History and Origins

Origin of hazard¹

C13: from Old French hasard, from Arabic az-zahr the die

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. at hazard, at risk; at stake; subject to chance:

   His reputation was at hazard in his new ventures.

Synonym Study

See danger.

Example Sentences

It might be a hazard of the job, and even if you leave Instagram, it would probably be good to talk to a therapist who can help you develop coping strategies.

From Outside Online

Autonomous vehicles need to be able to predict whether a child is about to run into the road or whether a wobbling cyclist presents a hazard.

From MIT Technology Review

Yet, while desire is one thing, the hazards that await are another.

From Ozy

It is outrageous that these companies are keeping all of us in the dark about the dangers these workers face and the hazards that still exist across San Diego County and the state.

From Voice of San Diego

The job may look as simple as connecting two wires, but doing the job incorrectly can be a true safety hazard either immediately or down the road.

From Washington Blade

That is where the subordinate gangs like Big Hazard come in.

From The Daily Beast

The Hazard gang is a multi-generational gang based in the East Los Angeles area.

From The Daily Beast

Hazard ratios were largest for benzodiazepines—the most commonly prescribed drug class.

From The Daily Beast

“Sexual assault is not an occupational hazard,” Arbogast said.

From The Daily Beast

And garbage from this massive infrastructure project was also poured into the Mzymta River, causing an ecological hazard.

From The Daily Beast

Not suspecting her motive, he represented the hazard of putting so great an affront on the favourite of the Empress.

From Project Gutenberg

A fifth by the sheer hazard of a lucky "deal" acquires a fortune without work at all.

From Project Gutenberg

She began to perceive what life really was, and the immense importance of hazard therein.

From Project Gutenberg

Lawrence, when the day was lost, rode back to prepare the hapless Europeans in the city for the hazard that now threatened.

From Project Gutenberg

That it was his determination to hazard all things rather than chill the coalition.

From Project Gutenberg