Threats and Danger: English Vocabulary List

(of a person) eager to try new ideas, exciting things, and take risks

"He is adventurous."

"The adventurous traveler visited remote villages and hiked through dangerous jungles to discover new cultures."

to make someone scared or anxious

"Loud noises alarm the sleeping baby."

"The sudden loud noise alarmed the sleeping baby and he started crying uncontrollably in his crib."

feeling worried or concerned due to a sudden, unexpected event or potential danger

"I was alarmed by the noise."

"I was alarmed by the loud crash and ran outside to see what had happened."

brave enough to take risks and do dangerous things

"The stunt was daring."

"The daring rescue mission saved the climbers who had been stranded on the mountain for three days."

likely to be harmed, attacked, or experience negative outcomes

"These are at-risk children."

"The program provides free meals to at risk children who might not otherwise have enough to eat."

the chance or probability of harm, loss, or negative consequences in the future, often resulting from a particular action, decision, event, or condition

"High risk requires caution."

"The risk of rain made us carry umbrellas."

extremely important or necessary

"This is critical."

"The critical moment in the game came when the quarterback threw a perfect pass to the receiver."

causing no danger or damage

"The spider is harmless."

"The spider in the corner is harmless so do not kill it because it eats mosquitoes and flies."

very likely to become or behave in a highly dangerous or harmful way

"This is a high-risk investment."

"The high-risk investment promised great returns but also carried a significant chance of losing money."

having a very minimal likelihood of experiencing or causing danger, injury, harm, or death

"This is a low-risk activity."

"The low risk investment will not make you rich but your money will be safe from big losses."

causing damage or negative effects to someone or something

"The chemical is harmful."

"The harmful chemicals in the cleaning product can cause skin irritation and breathing problems if you are not careful."

(of a person) not confident about oneself or one's skills and abilities

"He feels insecure."

"The insecure teenager constantly compared herself to the popular girls at school and she felt that she was not pretty or smart enough to fit in."

involving the possibility of loss, danger, harm, or failure

"Driving fast is risky."

"Driving fast on icy roads is very risky and could cause a serious accident with injuries."

to expose someone or something to potential harm or risk

"Reckless driving endangers other people's lives."

"Driving under the influence of alcohol can endanger your life and the lives of other innocent people on the road."

to physically hurt someone or damage something

"Smoking harms your lungs over time."

"Smoking cigarettes can seriously harm your lungs and increase your risk of developing cancer and other diseases."

to save a person or thing from danger, harm, or a bad situation

"Firefighters rescue people from burning buildings."

"The brave firefighter entered the burning building to rescue the family who was trapped on the second floor."

someone who saves a person or animal from a critical or harmful situation

"Brave rescuer saved child."

"The rescuer pulled the drowning child from the river and performed CPR until the ambulance arrived and took over emergency care."

something that poses danger or the possibility of harm

"Serious threat appeared suddenly."

"The threat of fire made everyone leave."

in a place or position that is safe from danger or damage

"Put the glass out of harm's way."

"The mother moved her children out of harm's way when she saw the dangerous dog approaching."

to make a loud, sharp cry when one is feeling a strong emotion

"Do not scream in the library."

"The children screamed with joy when they saw the fireworks exploding in the colorful night sky."

to warn someone of a possible danger, problem, or situation that requires their attention

"The alarm alerts everyone to danger."

"The security system will alert the police immediately if someone tries to break into the building at night."

behaving or talking in a way that is inconsiderate or offensive to a person or thing

"His tone was disrespectful."

"The disrespectful teenager rolled his eyes when his father asked him to clean his room."

in a very critical situation where the outcome is uncertain and any sort of mistake can lead to serious consequences

"His life is on a razor's edge."

"The company's future is on a razor's edge because sales have dropped dramatically this quarter."

intimidating or frightening in appearance or nature

"The dragon looks fearsome."

"The fearsome dragon breathed fire and protected its treasure from anyone who tried to steal it."

(of a problem or situation) very serious and possibly harmful that demands urgent attention or action

"This is a critical problem."

"The critical shortage of medical supplies poses a severe threat to public health."

able to cause death

"The poison is deadly."

"The deadly poison can kill a person within minutes so it is kept in a locked cabinet."

(of people) behaving dangerously or aggressively due to the circumstances

"He is desperate now."

"The trapped hikers became desperate and took extreme risks to find their way out."

causing someone to feel deeply hurt, upset, or angry due to being insulting, disrespectful, or inappropriate

"His comment is offensive."

"The offensive joke about his disability made him angry and he walked out of the room without saying a word."

protected and free from any danger or risk

"I feel secure here."

"I feel secure in my new job because the company is stable and has good benefits."

not protected and vulnerable to danger or risk

"The area is insecure."

"The ancient fortress, lacking modern defenses, remained insecure against potential invaders."

financially stable, reliable, and free from significant risks

"His plan is sound."

"The company's financial strategy is considered sound, ensuring long-term stability and growth."

extremely serious, dangerous, or difficult to deal with

"A nasty fall."

"The company faced a nasty financial crisis that threatened its very survival and future operations."

to be faced with an unexpected difficulty during a process

"You may encounter some difficulties."

"You may encounter some difficulties while learning a new language but do not give up easily."

to introduce danger, a threat, problem, etc.

"It can pose a threat."

"The rapid spread of misinformation online continues to pose a significant challenge to democratic societies."

to say that one is willing to damage something or hurt someone if one's demands are not met

"The storm threatens to destroy crops."

"The dictator threatened to unleash his army if the neighboring country did not immediately surrender its territory."

an event or something, often significant, that is currently taking place or has occurred

"Strange happening occurred."

"The unexpected happening at the party caused a great deal of excitement and speculation among the guests."

to trouble someone and make them uneasy

"Do not disturb him."

"Please do not disturb the sleeping baby, as she needs her rest to recover from her illness."

to cause someone to feel disrespected, upset, etc.

"His words offend me."

"His insensitive comments about her appearance were intended to offend and hurt her feelings deeply."

no longer facing a difficulty, danger, or punishment

"You are off the hook this time."

"The evidence was weak so the suspect was let off the hook by the judge yesterday."

not favoring either side in a conflict, competition, debate, etc.

"Stay neutral in this."

"As a mediator, it is essential to remain neutral and avoid taking sides in the dispute."