danger
danger
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for "danger" is /ˈdeɪn.dʒər/.
dan-: /deɪn/
/d/ - voiced alveolar plosive
/eɪ/ - diphthong, as in "day"
/n/ - voiced alveolar nasal
-ger: /dʒər/
/dʒ/ - voiced post-alveolar affricate, as in "judge"
/ər/ - r-colored vowel, as in "bird" or "teacher"
Word Form Variations
Noun:
Singular: danger
Plural: dangers
Adjective: dangerous
Adverb: dangerously
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
Definition 1: The possibility of suffering harm or injury; exposure to harm, loss, or pain.
Synonyms: peril, hazard, risk, threat, jeopardy
Antonyms: safety, security, protection, safeguard
Definition 2: A person, thing, or situation that is likely to cause harm or injury.
Synonyms: menace, threat, peril, hazard, risk
Antonyms: protector, safeguard, assurance
Verb (less common, usually used in more archaic or literary contexts as "to endanger")
Definition 1 (Transitive): To put someone or something into a situation in which they could be harmed, injured, or destroyed.
Synonyms: jeopardize, imperil, threaten, compromise, expose
Antonyms: protect, safeguard, secure, shield
Adjective (Dangerous)
Definition 1: Full of danger or risk; likely to cause harm or injury.
Synonyms: hazardous, perilous, risky, unsafe, precarious, threatening
Antonyms: safe, secure, harmless, benign, protected
Adverb (Dangerously)
Definition 1: In a way that involves or causes danger; in a way that is likely to cause harm.
Synonyms: perilously, hazardously, riskily, unsafely, precariously, threateningly
Antonyms: safely, securely, harmlessly, benignly
Examples of Use
Books:
"He realized the full extent of the danger they were in as the storm intensified, threatening to capsize their small boat." (from The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway)
"The protagonist, a young wizard, often found herself in great danger as she battled dark forces to save her world." (from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling)
Newspapers:
"Experts warn of the danger of rising sea levels to coastal communities worldwide." (Associated Press)
"The city council debated measures to mitigate the danger posed by reckless driving on residential streets." (The New York Times)
Online Publications:
"The article explored the danger of misinformation spreading rapidly on social media platforms." (The Verge)
"Climate change presents an existential danger to many species, pushing them closer to extinction." (National Geographic Online)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Film: "The spy movie revolved around averting a global danger from a rogue artificial intelligence." (from Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, July 2023)
Music: "The lyrics spoke of a love that was thrilling but full of danger." (from the song "Danger Zone" by Kenny Loggins, featured in Top Gun)
Video Games: "Players must navigate treacherous landscapes, constantly alert to the hidden dangers lurking around every corner." (from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild)
Television Series: "The detective was known for putting himself in danger to catch the most notorious criminals." (from Sherlock, BBC One)
General Public Discourse:
"Look out! There's danger ahead with that icy patch on the road." (Spoken during a conversation about driving)
"The sign clearly states 'High Voltage - Danger!'" (Seen on an electrical substation fence)
"We need to educate our children about the dangers of talking to strangers online." (Discussed during a parent-teacher meeting)
10 Quotes Using Danger
"The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of freedom, it produces enslavement." (Often attributed to Martin Luther King Jr., though the direct quote using "danger" is often "The ultimate danger of violence is that it invites an escalation of the very things that it sets out to destroy.")
"The great danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it." (Michelangelo)
"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear. The brave may not live forever, but the cautious do not live at all." (Often attributed to Meg Cabot, from The Princess Diaries, though the exact phrasing with danger is more commonly found as: "Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear. The brave may not live forever, but the cautious do not live at all. So, if you feel danger in your heart and you still do what you know is right, that is courage.")
"He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life." (Often attributed to Muhammad Ali, though the quote using danger is commonly: "He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life. There is no triumph without danger.")
"When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves." (Viktor Frankl, though a quote using danger from him is: "Every man has a right to his own destiny, but the greatest danger is to ignore it.")
"There is no danger that the electric light will ever be perfected." (Erasmus Wilson, 1878)
"We are in danger of making the world into one large parking lot." (Ayn Rand)
"The only real danger that can befall a man is to lose his money. Money is the source of all evil, and without it, there is no real virtue." (Often attributed to Mark Twain, though a more common Twain quote with danger is: "Patriotism is a danger when it means putting national interest before truth and justice.")
"The danger of the past was that men became slaves. The danger of the future is that men may become robots." (Erich Fromm)
"The greatest danger in times of turbulence is not the turbulence itself, but to act with yesterday's logic." (Peter Drucker)
Etymology
The word "danger" has a fascinating journey through history, and its original meaning was quite different from what we understand today!
It came into English around the 13th century from Old French, where it was "dangier" or "dongier." But where did that come from? It traced back to a Latin word, "dominarium," which was related to "dominus," meaning "lord" or "master."
So, believe it or not, the first known meaning of "danger" in English (around the 1200s to 1300s) was "the power or jurisdiction of a lord or master," especially their power to harm or control you. Think of it like being "in someone's danger" meaning you were at their mercy or under their authority. For instance, if you were "in the king's danger," it meant you were subject to his rule and his potential for punishment or control.
Over time, this idea of being under someone's control, especially when that control could lead to harm, gradually shifted. The focus moved from the power of the lord to the risk or peril associated with being in that powerful person's domain. By the late 14th century, "danger" started to take on the meaning we use today: the possibility of suffering harm, injury, or loss.
So, it's a cool example of how words can evolve, moving from meaning "mastery" or "control" to "the risk associated with being controlled" to finally just "risk" itself!
Phrases + Idioms Containing Danger
In danger: To be in a situation where harm is possible.
Out of danger: To no longer be in a situation where harm is possible.
Danger zone: An area or situation where danger is present or imminent.
Court danger: To deliberately put oneself in a dangerous situation (less common than "court trouble").
Smell danger: To sense that something bad is about to happen; to detect an impending threat.
Danger money: Extra pay given to workers who do dangerous jobs.
At one's own danger/peril: Taking responsibility for any risks involved.
Warning of danger: An alert or sign indicating a potential threat.
Grave danger: Serious or severe danger.
To run into danger: To encounter a dangerous situation.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of danger from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
