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hazardous

hazardous

98 5.2
Likely to cause harm or danger
  • adjective
  • /ˈhæzərdəs/
translation icon : peligroso
  • The scientists warned that the hazardous waste needed to be disposed of correctly to prevent contamination.
  • hazardous waste
  • hazardous substances
  • hazardous chemicals

Like warning caution, this can be hazardous to your mental health.

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Examples

  • It's a hazardous line of work.

  • This is all hazardous to your health.

  • Girls are more likely to work than boys, and most of the children in hazardous work are girls.

  • I suppose your journey is to be hazardous at times.

  • This is extremely hazardous duty.

  • You can try to stop me, but I must warn you, it may be hazardous to your health.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • Like warning caution, this can be hazardous to your mental health.

  • Parenting may be hazardous to your health.

  • None of the companies are doing enough to prevent hazardous child labour in their supply chains.

  • All four countries now have at least one modern hazardous waste treatment, storage, and disposal facility.

    Academic text (1999)

Synonyms

dangerous
vshazardous
1.5

Likely to cause harm or injury

is broader, stressing risk or potential rather than immediate harm
risky
vshazardous
269 3.6

Likely to cause loss, harm, or danger

focuses more on physical or general danger rather than financial uncertainty
harmful
vshazardous
161 2.6

Causing damage to people, animals or things

highlights potential for risk rather than stating that damage already occurs
unsafe
vshazardous
93 1.1

Likely to cause harm to people or damage to things

emphasizes involvement of risk rather than simply being unprotected
perilous
vshazardous
43 7.5

Full of danger that could cause harm

is less extreme and focuses on general risk rather than extreme danger
dicey
vshazardous
  • Informal
30 8.5

Likely to be risky or dangerous because the outcome is uncertain

focuses on presence of risk even when outcomes are known or predictable
extrahazardous
vshazardous
8.4

Likely to cause serious harm or danger

is milder, meaning risk but not necessarily beyond accepted limits

Antonyms

1.0

Not likely to be harmed or in danger

231 1.0

Not able to hurt people or things

How Dangerous

deadly
543 2.8
perilous
43 7.5
hazardous
98 5.2
risky
269 3.6

Surface Forms

hazardous positive
hazardously comparative
hazardousness superlative

Morphology

hazardous = hazard (transparent) = hazard + ous

A straightforward adjective formed from the noun 'hazard' with the productive suffix '-ous', so the meaning ('involving risk') is directly derived.

Etymology

Hazardous comes from hazard, which in turn comes from the Arabic word al-zahr meaning 'the die' or 'dice'. A die is used in games and stands for 'chance' or 'risk', so hazardous describes something full of danger or possible harm.