Skip to the word

Added 9 October 2026

hazard

/ˈhæzəd/ noun

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about hazard at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A source of danger; a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune.
drinking alcohol is a health hazard
An unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another.
bad luck caused his downfall
An obstacle on a golf course.

verb

Put forward, of a guess, in spite of possible refutation.
I am guessing that the price of real estate will rise again
Put at risk.
I will stake my good reputation for this
Take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome.
When you buy these stocks you are gambling

Origin

From Middle English hasard, from Old French hasart (“a game of dice”) (noun), hasarder (verb), from Arabic اَلزَّهْر (az-zahr, “the dice”). Compare Spanish azar, Portuguese azar.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Back to today's word