Etymology
Advertisement

dangerous (adj.)

c. 1200, daungerous, "difficult to deal with, arrogant, severe" (the opposite of affable), from Anglo-French dangerous, Old French dangeros (12c., Modern French dangereux), from danger "power, power to harm, mastery, authority, control" (see danger).

In Chaucer, it can mean "hard to please; reluctant to give; overbearing." The modern sense of "involving danger, hazardous, unsafe, risky, liable to inflict injury or harm" is from c. 1400. Other words formerly used in this sense included dangersome (1560s), dangerful (1540s). Related: Dangerously.

updated on June 25, 2018

Advertisement
Advertisement

Dictionary entries near dangerous

dandruff

dandy

Dane

dang

danger

dangerous

dangle

Daniel

Danielle

Danish

dank