danger

1 of 2

noun

dan·​ger ˈdān-jər How to pronounce danger (audio)
1
: exposure or liability to injury, pain, harm, or loss
a place where children could play without danger
was assured her job was not in danger
2
: a case or cause of danger
the dangers of mining
3
a
archaic : jurisdiction
You stand within his danger, do you not?Shakespeare
b
obsolete : reach, range
… out of the shot and danger of desire.Shakespeare
4
obsolete : harm, damage
… a sting in him that at his will he may do danger with.Shakespeare

danger

2 of 2

verb

dangered; dangering; dangers

Examples of danger in a Sentence

Noun I was unaware of the danger that lay ahead. She was fearless in the face of danger. The sign on the door read “Danger. Keep out.” There's less danger that you'll lose your money if you have a wide variety of investments. There's a danger that your apology will be taken as a sign of weakness. The danger is that we'll become careless as the process becomes more familiar. It's important to teach your children about the dangers of smoking. Here is a list of possible dangers associated with the procedure. We believe it poses a serious danger to our national security.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
In doing so, Betz discovered a different danger: eating disorders. Audrey Richardson and Aurora Sousanis, Detroit Free Press, 17 Mar. 2024 He was taken to the hospital last week after being beaten with a hammer outside his home in Lithuania, a reminder of the dangers faced by the opposition, even in exile. Nanna Heitmann, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2024 By the early 1970s, Gordon was already becoming a danger to others. Stephanie Nolasco, Fox News, 16 Mar. 2024 The product labels must include the manufacturer name, instructions for safe use and warnings of any dangers of improper use. USA TODAY, 16 Mar. 2024 In the past, the state’s environmental regulator, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, has disagreed with the EPA’s science assessment of ethylene oxide’s dangers to health and the environment. Alejandra Martinez, ProPublica, 15 Mar. 2024 Brief exposure isn’t considered a danger, but breathing it long term elevates the risk of breast cancer and lymphoma, the EPA said. Matthew Daly, Quartz, 14 Mar. 2024 These same storms could also produce tornadoes and will likely be active Thursday night after dark, increasing the danger. Mary Gilbert, CNN, 14 Mar. 2024 Editorial: Chiquita Canyon Landfill shows the danger of continuing to dump our trash. Jenny Gold, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024
Verb
Thankfully, her mother survived, but Cardenas-Haro questioned the decision not to activate sirens that might have alerted people to danger earlier. Kerry Breen, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2023 Trackside devices known as hot bearing detectors are designed to scan a passing train and alert crews to danger. Luz Lazo and Ian Duncan, BostonGlobe.com, 23 June 2023 Up to that point, being close enough to danger to report on it with accuracy had become a way of life. Mark Guarino, ABC News, 15 Mar. 2023 Our heads are great with facts and logic, our hearts speak our desires, and our gut senses danger. Expert Panel®, Forbes, 5 May 2023 On or off the clock, the first responders of 9-1-1 are no strangers to danger. Patrick Gomez, EW.com, 17 Mar. 2023 What starts as an innocuous activity often spirals into disruption and sometimes danger as new groups of people continually trying to outdo prior participants. Adario Strange, Quartz, 5 July 2022 Some scientists say such behavior is not always playfulness and can instead be an attempt to alert others to danger. From Usa Today Network and Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 30 Sep. 2021 Most warning systems use audible cues to alert people to danger. Madalyn Amato, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'danger.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English daunger, from Anglo-French dangier, dongier, from Vulgar Latin *dominiarium, from Latin dominium ownership

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of danger was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near danger

Cite this Entry

“Danger.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/danger. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

danger

noun
dan·​ger
ˈdān-jər
1
: the state of not being protected from injury, harm, or evil
2
: something that may cause injury or harm
the dangers of the jungle

More from Merriam-Webster on danger

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