Dangerous To: Standard Pattern
Dangerous To: Standard Pattern records a directly documented English construction and keeps guidance bounded to the evidenced pattern rather than turning one attested complement into a universal prohibition.
Use “dangerous to” before a person or thing that may be harmed or put at risk.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| a person or thing is at risk of harm | dangerous to + person/thing | Use the documented “to” pattern. |
| no affected person or thing is stated | dangerous | The adjective can stand without a complement. |
| another relation is intended | check the intended construction | Do not turn one documented complement into a universal preposition rule. |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Are you naming the person or thing that may be harmed or put at risk?
If yes: Use “dangerous to.”
If no: Use the adjective without that complement, or choose another construction that matches the intended relation.
Caveat: The reviewed evidence supports “dangerous to” for an affected person or thing; it does not make every other complement impossible in every context.
Examples
The chemical is dangerous to aquatic life.
The complement names what may be harmed.
Loose wiring can be dangerous to occupants.
The “to” phrase names the people at risk.
The crossing is dangerous after dark.
No “to” complement is needed when the affected party is not stated.
Further guidance
Construction
Use “dangerous to” before a person or thing that may be harmed or put at risk.
Style Boundary
Oxford also documents “dangerous for” constructions, so this guide records the attested “to” pattern without presenting it as the only valid complement.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- dangerous — Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries (opens in a new tab)Oxford University Press · Learner-dictionary grammar evidence for dangerous to and documented alternative dangerous for constructions.