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. liable to

5. critically ill in hospital

Other Word Forms

• dangerless adjective
• superdanger 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

Though it may be easier to turn from the darkest realities of our times, the danger remains whether we’re willing to see it or not.

From Salon

Prosecutors successfully argued that Richardson should be held without bail due to the serious danger he poses to the public.

From Los Angeles Times

And he pulled no punches in alerting the nation to the danger that awaits us.

From Salon

But the dangers, whether on the parade grounds of Tiananmen square or in US courtrooms, are very real.

From BBC

He pointed to the danger of drones in the hands of organized crime, “threatening states, threatening security forces.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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