endanger - Master This Word
Master this word with our 5-step learning method – Learn English in English
endanger Word Meanings
- to put something at risk of harm or danger
- to threaten the survival of a species or environment
- to expose to peril
endanger Example Sentences
Example sentences are the start of understanding. Don't rush to memorize. First feel how the word works in a sentence.
endanger Phonetic & Pronunciation
UK
/ɪnˈdeɪn.dʒə/
US
/ɪnˈdeɪn.dʒɚ/
endanger Word Etymology
en- = to cause, danger = risk; Origin: Latin 'in' + 'dangeris' (risk) → Old French → English. Imagine a lion prowling near a flock of sheep, posing a danger to their safety.
Note 1: These definitions and etymologies are not standard dictionary definitions, but extended explanations provided to help with memorization and understanding of the actual application of words. Through this background information, we strive to make words more vivid and easier to understand, and help you remember their meanings in real life.
Note 2: LexiTalk designs the learning flow around the linguistics principle of “Comprehensible Input.” When learners encounter material that is slightly above their level but still understandable from context, the brain naturally absorbs the language. That’s why we keep every word inside authentic contexts, using examples and associations to help you understand it and use it flexibly.
Read the FAQ explanation of Comprehensible InputReal Context
Endanger is a transitive verb meaning to put someone or something at risk of harm or danger. It can describe immediate physical risk, safety concerns, or broader threats to survival, such as a species or habitat. You can say a path endangers a hiker, or that pollution endangers wildlife. The phrase is common in safety, environmental policy, and conservation writing, and its noun forms danger or endangerment, with endangered as the past participle describing threatened status. When the object is a person, health, or a fragile ecosystem, use endanger; when describing the state of being at risk, use endangered.
Usage Reminders
- - Use endanger for something at risk of harm or danger.
- - It is transitive and takes a direct object.
- - Endangered is the adjective; endangerment is the noun.
- - Common collocations: endanger wildlife, endanger a plan, endanger lives.
- - Prefer neutral or formal contexts for conservation or safety topics.
Common Misconceptions
- Endanger means to injure someone directly.
- Endanger only applies to people, not animals or environments.
- You can say 'endangered' as the past tense form of endanger.
- Endanger and threaten are interchangeable in all contexts.
- Endanger implies intentional harm in all cases.
Thinking Differences
English tends to privilege a concrete, agentive sense of endanger with living or living-systems as subjects; learners often fear injuring people and confuse endangered with endangered species status.
Learning Tips
- Learn the core meaning: put at risk.
- Differentiate endangered (adjective) from endangerment (noun).
- Practice with wildlife and safety contexts.
- Use 'endanger' with concrete objects or living systems as the direct object.
- Watch for passive constructions: may endanger / could be endangered.
5-Step Learning Method - Learn English in English
Step 1: Meaning
What is the meaning of 'endanger'?
A.To protect
B.To harm or put at risk
C.To clean
D.To celebrate
Step 2: Usage
In which sentence is 'endanger' used correctly?
A.He planted a garden to endanger the neighborhood.
B.She helped endangered species in the wildlife reserve.
C.The teacher endangered the students with extra homework.
D.The firefighter worked to endanger the fire
Step 3: Similar Words
What is a synonym for 'endanger'?
A.Protect
B.Endure
C.Jeopardize
D.Secure
Step 4: Opposite Words
What is an antonym for 'endanger'?
A.Threaten
B.Risk
C.Perilous
D.Harmless
Step 5: Mastery
In what real-life scenario might something be endangered?
A.An endangered species losing its habitat
B.A firefighter putting out a fire
C.A child playing in a safe playground
D.A student studying for an exam
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