HAZARDOUS Synonyms: 66 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'hazardous' distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of hazardous are dangerous , perilous , precarious , and risky . While all these words mean "bringing or involving the chance of loss or injury," hazardous implies great and continuous risk of harm or failure. // claims that smoking is hazardous to your health

Q: When is 'dangerous' a more appropriate choice than 'hazardous'?

In some situations, the words dangerous and hazardous are roughly equivalent. However, dangerous applies to something that may cause harm or loss unless dealt with carefully. // soldiers on a dangerous mission

Q: When could 'perilous' be used to replace 'hazardous'?

Although the words perilous and hazardous have much in common, perilous strongly implies the immediacy of danger. // perilous mountain roads

Q: In what contexts can 'precarious' take the place of 'hazardous'?

While the synonyms precarious and hazardous are close in meaning, precarious suggests both insecurity and uncertainty. // earned a precarious living by gambling

Q: Where would 'risky' be a reasonable alternative to 'hazardous'?

While in some cases nearly identical to hazardous , risky often applies to a known and accepted danger. // shied away from risky investments

hazardous

adjective

ˈha-zər-dəs

Definition of hazardous next

as in dangerous

involving potential loss or injury a hazardous journey across the arctic ice

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word hazardous distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of hazardous are dangerous, perilous, precarious, and risky. While all these words mean "bringing or involving the chance of loss or injury," hazardous implies great and continuous risk of harm or failure.

claims that smoking is hazardous to your health

When is dangerous a more appropriate choice than hazardous?

In some situations, the words dangerous and hazardous are roughly equivalent. However, dangerous applies to something that may cause harm or loss unless dealt with carefully.

soldiers on a dangerous mission

When could perilous be used to replace hazardous?

Although the words perilous and hazardous have much in common, perilous strongly implies the immediacy of danger.

perilous mountain roads

In what contexts can precarious take the place of hazardous?

While the synonyms precarious and hazardous are close in meaning, precarious suggests both insecurity and uncertainty.

earned a precarious living by gambling

Where would risky be a reasonable alternative to hazardous?

While in some cases nearly identical to hazardous, risky often applies to a known and accepted danger.

shied away from risky investments

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of hazardous This, combined with the state’s hazardous winter weather conditions, creates an environment primed for traffic incidents, the outlet reported. —

Toria Sheffield, People.com, 15 Dec. 2024 Indeed, many top company leaders at firms involved in the opioid industry have continued to rack up big bonuses and pay hikes, even as their firms paid out billions of dollars in opioid settlements or admitted to criminal acts highly hazardous to the public. —

Brian Mann, NPR, 13 Dec. 2024 Even more hazardous, stomach acid can cause the battery to start to break down, leading to stomach burns. —

Sara Hansen, The Denver Post, 13 Dec. 2024 Public housing residents have also raised concerns about hazardous conditions inside Housing Authority buildings — including mold, gun violence, and rodent and bug infestations. —

Sarah Volpenhein, Journal Sentinel, 8 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hazardous

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hazardous

Adjective

The Women by Kristin Hannah (St. Martin’s Press: $30) An intimate portrait of coming of age in a dangerous time.

The California Independent Booksellers Alliance, Los Angeles Times, 25 Dec. 2024
The night was a downhill slope, a movement in woeful reverse, a tidal pull back into the tumult and dangerous madness of what must now be called the era of Trump.

Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 25 Dec. 2024