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hazardous

adjective
haz·​ard·​ous | \ ˈha-zÉ™r-dÉ™s How to pronounce hazardous (audio) \

Definition of hazardous

1 : involving or exposing one to risk (as of loss or harm) a hazardous occupation disposing of hazardous waste
2 : depending on the effect of unpredictable and unanalyzable forces in determining events : depending on hazard (see hazard entry 1 sense 2a) or chance hazardous outcomes
Other Words from hazardous Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about hazardous

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Other Words from hazardous

hazardously adverb
hazardousness noun

Choose the Right Synonym for hazardous

dangerous, hazardous, precarious, perilous, risky mean bringing or involving the chance of loss or injury. dangerous applies to something that may cause harm or loss unless dealt with carefully. soldiers on a dangerous mission hazardous implies great and continuous risk of harm or failure. claims that smoking is hazardous to your health precarious suggests both insecurity and uncertainty. earned a precarious living by gambling perilous strongly implies the immediacy of danger. perilous mountain roads risky often applies to a known and accepted danger. shied away from risky investments

Examples of hazardous in a Sentence

It was a hazardous voyage. These are hazardous chemicals that can cause death if inhaled.

Recent Examples on the Web

 As glaciers calve more icebergs into the ocean, the large chunks of floating ice can be hazardous to both ships and oil operations. — Chelsea Harvey, Scientific American, "What Greenland Might Have Taught Trump about Warming," 19 Aug. 2019 And wind turbines are hazardous to flying critters. — WSJ, "Plugging in the Wind Is a Complicated Issue," 28 June 2019 Items left on the floor get dusty very quickly and can be hazardous to your ability to get around your home safely. — Nicole Anzia, Houston Chronicle, "Everything has its place — and that place is not the floor," 7 June 2019 Researchers have known that space travel can be hazardous to human health since NASA’s Gemini missions in the 1960s. — Amber Jorgenson, Discover Magazine, "Sex and the Cosmic City," 18 Apr. 2019 Air pollution, for example, is particularly hazardous to children, exacerbating infant mortality, asthma, and developmental delays. — Julia Belluz, Vox, "The Trump administration’s attack on children’s health protections," 27 Sep. 2018 History indicates that bouts of hyperinflation can be hazardous to the health of dictators and strongmen, leading to revolutions, coups and other forms of ouster. — Anthony Faiola, The Seattle Times, "Venezuela’s inflation rate may hit 1,000,000 percent," 24 July 2018 And beams of light, unlike wires, are hazardous to human eyeballs, which means that these bots are not going to be free to play Johnny Appleseed any time soon. — Ellen Airhart, WIRED, "This Insect-Sized Flying Robot Is Powered by Lasers," 15 May 2018 Those studies support the idea that working against the body’s natural inclination can be hazardous to your health. — NBC News, "Night owls die young in a world scheduled for early birds," 12 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hazardous.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of hazardous

1549, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for hazardous

see hazard entry 1

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More Definitions for hazardous

hazardous

adjective
How to pronounce hazardous (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of hazardous

: involving risk or danger

See the full definition for hazardous in the English Language Learners Dictionary

hazardous

adjective
haz·​ard·​ous | \ ˈha-zÉ™r-dÉ™s How to pronounce hazardous (audio) \

Kids Definition of hazardous

: dangerous sense 1 hazardous chemicals

hazardous

adjective
haz·​ard·​ous

Legal Definition of hazardous

: creating a hazard : involving or exposing one to risk (as of loss or harm) a hazardous occupation a hazardous substance

Other Words from hazardous

hazardously adverb

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More from Merriam-Webster on hazardous

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for hazardous

Spanish Central: Translation of hazardous

Nglish: Translation of hazardous for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of hazardous for Arabic Speakers

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