danger
B1Neutral (used across formal, informal, spoken, and written contexts).
Definition
Meaning
The possibility of harm, injury, loss, or an unpleasant outcome.
A person, situation, or thing that causes or is likely to cause harm. A threat or peril.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Implies a present and potential threat. Often used with abstract or concrete nouns. Contrasts with 'risk', which emphasizes the probability of the negative outcome.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical differences. Spelling remains the same. Grammatical usage is identical.
Connotations
Identical connotations. Both denote threat, peril, or hazard.
Frequency
Equally frequent in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
danger of + noun/-ing (danger of infection)danger to + noun (danger to the public)danger that + clause (danger that prices will rise)in danger (of)out of dangerVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “out of danger”
- “in the danger zone”
- “a danger to society”
- “run the danger of”
- “clear and present danger”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to financial risk, market threats, or operational hazards (e.g., 'The new regulations pose a danger to our profit margins.').
Academic
Used in social sciences, environmental studies, and medicine to discuss threats or hazards (e.g., 'The study assessed the danger of long-term exposure to particulate matter.').
Everyday
Commonly used for physical safety warnings, personal risk, and general threats (e.g., 'There's danger of ice on the roads.').
Technical
In engineering, computing, and safety protocols, denotes specific failure modes or hazardous conditions (e.g., 'The system will shut down if it detects danger of overheating.').
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The weather forecast dangers travellers with warnings of flash floods.
- (Note: 'danger' as a verb is archaic/rare. Modern equivalent is 'endanger').
American English
- (Rare/Archaic) The verb 'danger' is virtually unused. Use 'endanger', 'imperil', or 'threaten'.
adverb
British English
- (No standard adverb form of 'danger'. Use 'dangerously').
American English
- (No standard adverb form of 'danger'. Use 'dangerously').
adjective
British English
- The danger man took the free kick and scored. (Colloquial/sports: 'danger man' = key threatening player)
- They marked all the danger areas on the map.
American English
- He's known as the danger player on the team.
- The report highlighted several danger spots along the highway.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Fire is a danger.
- Children should not play near the road. It's dangerous.
- Look out! Danger!
- There is a danger of falling rocks on this path.
- The storm put the sailors in great danger.
- Smoking is a danger to your health.
- The economic policies carry the danger of triggering high inflation.
- He was unaware of the hidden dangers in the investment scheme.
- The patient is now out of danger and recovering well.
- The journalist's exposé placed her in grave danger of reprisals.
- The treaty averted the imminent danger of a military conflict.
- One of the dangers of social media is the rapid spread of misinformation.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
DANGER sounds like 'DANGLE' - imagine dangling off a cliff, which is a very dangerous situation.
Conceptual Metaphor
DANGER IS A PHYSICAL FORCE (e.g., 'The company was swept into danger by the market crash.'), DANGER IS AN ADVERSARY (e.g., 'We must face this danger head-on.'), DANGER IS A LOCATION (e.g., 'He is in grave danger.', 'We've moved out of danger.').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct translation of Russian 'опасность' for mild inconveniences or unlikely problems. English 'danger' is stronger. For lower-level threats, use 'risk' or 'problem'.
- Do not confuse 'danger' with 'emergency' (чрезвычайная ситуация). 'Danger' is the threat; 'emergency' is the actual event.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect preposition: 'danger for' (use 'danger to' or 'danger of').
- Using as a countable noun for abstract concepts incorrectly: 'He is a danger' (correct) vs. 'He is a danger person' (incorrect - use 'dangerous person').
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following sentences uses 'danger' correctly?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Danger' refers to the inherent threat or potential for harm in a situation (e.g., 'High voltage electricity is a danger.'). 'Risk' refers to the probability or chance that the danger will cause harm (e.g., 'The risk of electrocution is high if you touch it.'). A situation can be dangerous, and you take a risk by engaging with it.
The verb 'to danger' is archaic and almost never used in modern English. The correct verb forms are 'to endanger', 'to imperil', or 'to put in danger'.
It is a common medical and general phrase meaning that someone is no longer threatened by a serious, often life-threatening, situation. For example, 'The doctors announced that the patient was out of danger and would make a full recovery.'
Yes, 'dangerous' is the standard and primary adjective derived from 'danger'. Phrases like 'danger zone' or 'danger man' use the noun attributively (acting like an adjective), but 'dangerous' is used to describe something that causes danger.