different between dangerous vs baneful

English

Etymology

From Middle English dangerous (“difficult, severe, domineering, arrogant, fraught with danger”), daungerous, from Anglo-Norman [Term?], from Old French dangereus (“threatening, difficult”), from dangier. Equivalent to danger +? -ous.

Displaced native Old English fr?cne.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?de?n?(?)??s/, /?de?nd??(?)??s/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?de?nd?????s/, /?de?nd????s/, /?de?nd???s/, /?de?n???s/
• Hyphenation: dan?ger?ous

Adjective

dangerous (comparative more dangerous, superlative most dangerous)

1. Full of danger.

   • “[…] it is not fair of you to bring against mankind double weapons?! Dangerous enough you are as woman alone, without bringing to your aid those gifts of mind suited to problems which men have been accustomed to arrogate to themselves.”

2. Causing danger; ready to do harm or injury.
   • 1688, Aphra Behn, Oroonoko

     If they incline to think you dangerous / To less than gods

3. (colloquial, dated) In a condition of danger, as from illness; threatened with death.
4. (obsolete) Hard to suit; difficult to please.

   • My wages ben fule straite, and eke full smale; / My lorde is harde to me and daungerous.

5. (obsolete) Reserved; not affable.

   • Of his speech daungerous

Usage notes

The standard comparative and superlative are more dangerous and most dangerous; the forms dangerouser and dangerousest or dangerest exist but are nonstandard.

Synonyms

(full of danger):

• hazardous
• perilous
• risky
• unsafe
• See also Thesaurus:dangerous

Antonyms

• (full of danger): safe, harmless

Derived terms

• dangerous goods

Related terms

• danger
• dangerously

Translations

Anagrams

• nose guard, noseguard

Occitan

Adjective

dangerous m (feminine singular dangerouso, masculine plural dangerous, feminine plural dangerousos)

1. (Mistralian) Alternative form of dangeirós

English

Etymology

From bane +? -ful.

Adjective

baneful (comparative more baneful, superlative most baneful)

1. (archaic) Poisonous, deadly.
2. Harmful, injurious.
   • 1792, Mary Wollstonecraft, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, Penguin 2004, p. 32:

     This contempt of the understanding in early life has more baneful consequences than is commonly supposed […].

Synonyms

• fatal
• mortal

Antonyms

• helpful
• productive

Related terms

• bane
• banefully
• banefulness

Translations