Synonyms: Dangerous

From perilous cliffs to toxic substances to daring ventures, this list explores the spectrum of potential harm and threat, offering words to describe unsafe situations and hazards, as well as risky conditions and menaces.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. alarming
    frightening because of an awareness of danger
    The most alarming of all man’s assaults upon the environment is the contamination of air, earth, rivers, and sea with dangerous and even lethal materials. Silent Spring
  2. daredevil
    recklessly daring
    “A daredevil jump off this ledge will end your life. It has happened before and it will happen again. You’ve been warned.” Divergent
  3. desperate
    fraught with extreme danger; nearly hopeless
    The war is too desperate to allow us to be sentimental for long. All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel
  4. dicey
    of uncertain outcome; fraught with risk
    Fifteen minutes of dicey, fatiguing crampon work brought me safely to the bottom of the incline, where I easily located my pack, and another ten minutes after that I was in camp myself. Into Thin Air
  5. dire
    fraught with extreme danger; nearly hopeless
    In these dire circumstances, survival depended on specific, well-defined contributions from each member of the family. A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919
  6. dodgy
    of uncertain outcome; especially fraught with risk
    Jule got out of the subway in a dodgy Brooklyn neighborhood. Genuine Fraud
  7. exposed
    with no protection or shield
    The wounds were deep, and he could see exposed muscles and tendons glisten yellow and pink in a devastating kind of beauty where the ragged flesh gaped open. Messenger
  8. foolhardy
    marked by defiant disregard for danger or consequences
    After all, Jaimito had stuck his neck out for a man whose politics he considered foolhardy. In the Time of the Butterflies
  9. hazardous
    involving risk or danger
    Eventually they also made hazardous supply flights to the partisans, the guerrilla groups who were fighting against the Germans in the Bryansk Forest near the Russian border with Ukraine. A Thousand Sisters
  10. insecure
    lacking in safety
    The Acting Commander considered himself too important to be risked in an insecure situation. Artemis Fowl
  11. malignant
    dangerous to health
    This phenomenon was exciting for researchers trying to understand the mechanisms of cancer, because it suggested that they might be able to study the moment a normal cell becomes malignant. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
  12. menacing
    threatening evil or danger
    I explained that it was Edmund, my childhood tormentor, and described his menacing ways. Ophelia
  13. perilous
    fraught with danger
    The hobbits were glad to leave the cheerless lands and the perilous Road behind them; but this new country seemed threatening and unfriendly. The Fellowship of the Ring
  14. precarious
    fraught with danger
    His position looks precarious, even though he’s holding on to the railing with both hands. Everything, Everything
  15. rash
    imprudently incurring risk
    But Squealer counselled them to avoid rash actions and trust in Comrade Napoleon’s strategy. Animal Farm: A Fairy Story
  16. reckless
    marked by defiant disregard for danger or consequences
    Many people have observed that adolescents tend to be more reckless, impulsive, and vulnerable to peer pressure than adults. The 57 Bus
  17. savage
    able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering
    Cole pounded the bear’s face with his fist, but nothing stopped the savage attack. Touching Spirit Bear
  18. threatening
    suggesting or expressive of evil, harm, or danger
    If this evil was as threatening as Elena made it seem, then how could she possibly defeat it? Throne of Glass
  19. treacherous
    dangerously unstable and unpredictable
    The terrain and river looked too fierce and treacherous to cross. Death on the River of Doubt
  20. unpredictable
    unknown in advance
    My mom usually picks me up, since Baba’s schedule is so unpredictable. Amina's Voice
  21. unreliable
    dangerously unstable and unpredictable
    In 1905, motor vehicles were still expensive, unreliable toys for the rich. Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies
  22. vicious
    able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering
    Similarly, “anyone who seeks out the company of such vicious creatures as werewolves and giants would appear to have a fondness for violence.” Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire
  23. vulnerable
    susceptible to attack
    The enduring racial isolation of the ghetto poor has made them uniquely vulnerable in the War on Drugs. The New Jim Crow
Created on Wed Apr 10 13:21:56 EDT 2024 (updated Fri May 10 12:32:13 EDT 2024)

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