dangerous

From Middle English dangerous (“difficult, severe, domineering, arrogant, fraught with danger”), daungerous, from Anglo-Norman, from Old French dangereus (“threatening, difficult”), from dangier. Equivalent to danger +‎ -ous.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈdeɪnʒ(ə)ɹəs/, /ˈdeɪnd͡ʒ(ə)ɹəs/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈdeɪnd͡ʒəɹəs/, /ˈdeɪnd͡ʒɚəs/, /ˈdeɪnd͡ʒɚs/, /ˈdeɪnʒɹəs/

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• Hyphenation: dan‧ger‧ous

dangerous (comparative more dangerous, superlative most dangerous)

1. Full of danger.

   Railway crossings without gates are highly dangerous.

   • 1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, OCLC 639762314, page 0029:

     “[…] it is not fair of you to bring against mankind double weapons ! Dangerous enough you are as woman alone, without bringing to your aid those gifts of mind suited to problems which men have been accustomed to arrogate to themselves.”

2. Causing danger; ready to do harm or injury.
   • (Can we date this quote?) John Milton

     If they incline to think you dangerous / To less than gods

3. (colloquial, dated) In a condition of danger, as from illness; threatened with death.
4. (obsolete) Hard to suit; difficult to please.
   • (Can we date this quote?) Geoffrey Chaucer

     My wages ben full strait, and eke full small; / My lord to me is hard and dangerous.

5. (obsolete) Reserved; not affable.
   • (Can we date this quote?) Geoffrey Chaucer

     Of his speech dangerous

The standard comparative and superlative are more dangerous and most dangerous; the forms dangerouser and dangerousest exist but are nonstandard.

(full of danger):

• hazardous
• perilous
• risky
• unsafe
• See also Thesaurus:dangerous

• (full of danger): safe, harmless

• danger
• dangerously

• nose guard, noseguard