endanger

• endaunger (obsolete)
• indanger

From en- +‎ danger. Displaced native Old English frēcnian.

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ɛnˈdeɪnd͡ʒɚ/, /ɪnˈdeɪnd͡ʒɚ/^[1]
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɛnˈdeɪndʒə/^[2]
• Hyphenation: en‧dan‧ger

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

endanger (third-person singular simple present endangers, present participle endangering, simple past and past participle endangered)

1. (transitive) To put (someone or something) in danger; to risk causing harm to.
   • c. 1590–1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):

     I hold him but a fool that will endanger / His body [in a duel] for a girl that loves him not

   • 1757, Edmund Burke, The Abridgement of the History of England:

     All the other difficulties of his reign only exercised without endangering him.

   • 1877, Louisa May Alcott, Under the Lilacs

     If you endanger other people's life and liberty in your pursuit of happiness, I shall have to confiscate your arms, boys.

   • 2022 January 12, Benedict le Vay, “The heroes of Soham...”, in RAIL, number 948, page 42:

     As he passed though the station, he slowed to yell to the signalman, Frank 'Sailor' Bridges: "Sailor - have you anything between here and Fordham? Where's the mail?" Gimbert knew the mail train was due, and he didn't want to endanger another train with his burning bomb wagon.

2. (obsolete, transitive) To incur the hazard of; to risk; to run the risk of.
   • 1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Seditions and Troubles”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC:

     He that turneth the humours back […] endangereth malign ulcers.

• See also Thesaurus:endanger

• enranged