ENGLISH
REFERENCE

hazardous

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈhæzɝdəs// UK //hˈæzədəs// haz·ardous Archaic

adj. dangerous or risky to your health or safety. You often see this word on signs for chemicals or in warnings about bad weather.

adj. involving great risk or danger, especially to physical health or safety. Often used in technical or regulatory contexts to describe substances or environments.


SIMPLE

The waste from the factory is hazardous.

CONTEXTUAL

Heavy snow and thick ice made the mountain roads hazardous for all drivers this morning.

COMPLEX

The disposal of hazardous materials requires strict adherence to safety protocols to prevent long-term environmental contamination and immediate health risks to the local population.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle French hasardeux, equivalent to hazard + -ous.

Usage

Commonly modifies nouns like 'waste', 'conditions', 'materials', or 'journey'.

Pitfall

a hazardous for healthhazardous to healthThe adjective hazardous typically takes the preposition 'to' when describing the target of the danger.

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