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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Hazard: Definition, Usage & Key Differences (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：dangerous thing (hazard)

hazard 🔊

/ˈhæzərd/

n./v.

Something that could cause harm, loss, or trouble. It's a possible danger that you need to be careful about.

Hazard warning sign illustration on a wet floor, showing a slipping person.

dangerous thing 🔊

➕

/ˈdeɪndʒərəs θɪŋ/

n./v.

A source or situation with the potential to cause harm, damage, or adverse effects.

📁 Category：Physical & Mental Health 🔖 Level：Beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Old French 'hasard' (game of chance), possibly from Arabic 'al-zahr' (the dice).

💡 Mnemonic

HAZard looks like HARD. Dealing with a hazard is HARD because it's dangerous.

📖 Example

The construction site is full of potential hazards, so it's crucial to wear a helmet at all times. 🔊 The construction site contains many possible sources of danger, making it essential to always wear protective headgear.

🔗 Collocations

health hazard – A danger to physical well-being

fire hazard – A material or condition likely to cause a fire

occupational hazard – A risk inherent to a particular job

🔄 Synonyms

danger (n.) – Exposure to the possibility of harm or injury.

risk (n.) – A situation involving exposure to danger or loss.

peril (n.) – Serious and immediate danger, often more imminent than hazard.

🚫 Antonyms

safety (n.) – The condition of being protected from harm or danger.

security (n.) – The state of being free from danger or threat.

🌱 Derivatives

hazardous (adj.) – Involving risk or danger.

📖 Cultural Story

The word entered English from French, originally referring to a dice game. Its core idea of 'chance, risk' evolved from the unpredictable outcome of a dice roll. Today, it's a key term in risk management and safety protocols across industries.

Meaning 2：venture to guess (hazard)

hazard 🔊

/ˈhæzərd/

n./v.

To offer a guess or suggestion, even though you are not sure if it's correct. It sounds a bit casual and uncertain.

Hazard a guess illustration: friends discussing a map in a cozy living room.

venture to guess 🔊

➕

/ˈventʃər tu ɡes/

n./v.

To put forward a suggestion, opinion, or guess tentatively, acknowledging the uncertainty involved.

📁 Category：Behaviors & Actions 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

I'm not sure where she is, but I could hazard a guess and say she might be at the library. 🔊 I don't know her exact location, but I am willing to tentatively suggest that the library is a possibility.

🔗 Collocations

hazard a guess – To make a tentative conjecture or estimation

🔄 Synonyms

venture (v.) – To dare to put forward an opinion or suggestion.

speculate (v.) – To form a theory or conjecture without firm evidence.

conjecture (v.) – To form an opinion or supposition based on incomplete information.

🚫 Antonyms

assert (v.) – To state a fact or belief confidently and forcefully.

declare (v.) – To say something in a solemn and emphatic manner.