unsafe

unsafe — adjective

1. exposed to the possibility of being hurt, lost, or damaged, or putting someone i

1.adjectiveA2
Definition

exposed to the possibility of being hurt, lost, or damaged, or putting someone in that position.

Example

Local officials declared the old bridge unsafe after the storm damaged its steel supports.

passive construction: declared [+ noun] unsafe

Anong felt unsafe walking home alone through the poorly lit alley.

Common collocations
  • structurally unsafe
  • potentially unsafe
  • deem unsafe
  • declare unsafe
  • unsafe for children
  • unsafe to drink
  • unsafe conditions
  • unsafe environment
Synonyms
  • dangerous

    the closest synonym; more focused on inherent capacity to injure or kill, while unsafe emphasises lack of protection or security

  • hazardous

    more formal and technical, used for specific identifiable risks such as chemicals or work conditions

  • risky

    emphasises the chance of a negative outcome rather than immediate physical danger; common with financial or strategic decisions

  • precarious

    suggests instability and threat of sudden collapse, often used for physical positions or financial situations

Antonyms
  • safe

    opposite in all senses; free from danger or risk

  • secure

    emphasises protection from harm or loss, often in a more permanent or structural way

Grammar Patterns

be / feel / become + unsafe

unsafe + for + noun

unsafe + to-infinitive

declare / consider / rule + noun + unsafe

Usage Note

Commonly appears in safety warnings and public notices. The adjective often follows linking verbs such as be, feel, become, or remain. When describing a person's emotional state (e.g., felt unsafe), the focus is on the person's perception of danger rather than an objective condition.

Common Mistakes

The bridge is unsafe to cross it.
The bridge is unsafe to cross.
Do not add an object pronoun after the to-infinitive when the bridge is the implied object of both the main clause and the infinitive.

2. describing a court's ruling against a defendant when the evidence that led to th

2.adjectiveC1
Definition

describing a court's ruling against a defendant when the evidence that led to that ruling is weak, false, or unreliable, making the ruling untrustworthy.

Example

The appeals court overturned the verdict, ruling the conviction unsafe.

collocation: unsafe conviction / rule [+ noun] unsafe

Karim's lawyer argued that the evidence was too weak to support an unsafe conviction.

Common collocations
  • unsafe conviction
  • unsafe verdict
  • ruled unsafe
  • declared unsafe
  • conviction found to be unsafe
Synonyms
  • unreliable

    broader term that can apply to evidence, witnesses, or judgments; less specific to formal court decisions

  • unsound

    suggests the decision has a logical or procedural flaw rather than weak evidence

  • questionable

    softer and less technical; suggests doubt without necessarily implying the decision is wrong

Antonyms
  • safe

    in British legal usage, a 'safe conviction' is one that the court considers reliable and properly supported by evidence

  • sound

    describes a legally solid and well-supported decision

Grammar Patterns

unsafe + conviction / verdict / finding

declare / rule / find + conviction + unsafe

Usage Note

Primarily used in British and Commonwealth legal contexts, especially in appeal cases. In the US legal system, equivalent concepts are expressed through terms such as 'reversible error' or 'insufficient evidence'. The word is almost exclusively paired with conviction, verdict, or finding — never used for laws, contracts, or sentences.

Common Mistakes

The law itself is unsafe because it is unclear.
The conviction was unsafe because the key witness lied.
The legal sense of unsafe applies only to the outcome of a trial (conviction or verdict), not to statutes, regulations, or legal principles.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

These words all describe situations or things that could cause harm. Unsafe is the broadest term — it can describe anything from an unstable ladder to a high-crime neighbourhood, with emphasis on the lack of security or protection rather than the degree of danger. Dangerous is the closest synonym but focuses more on the inherent potential to cause injury or death — a dangerous snake, a dangerous road. Hazardous is more formal and often technical, used for substances, materials, or work conditions that pose specific identifiable risks, such as hazardous waste or hazardous working conditions. Risky emphasises the probability of a negative outcome rather than immediate physical danger — a risky investment, a risky plan. Precarious suggests instability and the threat of sudden collapse — a precarious ledge, a precarious financial position. A building can be unsafe (structurally unsound) or precarious (about to give way), but only unsafe can describe a legal verdict.

dangerous ↗hazardous ↗risky ↗precarious ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

  • potentially unsafe
  • structurally unsafe
  • clearly unsafe
  • inherently unsafe
  • completely unsafe

Phrases

  • deem something unsafe
  • declare something unsafe
  • rule something unsafe
  • find something unsafe

Prepositions

  • unsafe for
  • unsafe to

Etymology

Old EnglishOld FrenchLatinEnglish

Formed in English from the prefix un- (meaning 'not') + safe. The word safe entered English through Old French sauf, from Latin salvus meaning 'uninjured, healthy'. Unsafe first appeared around the 1590s with the meaning 'not secure from danger'. By the 1800s it had also developed the sense 'likely to cause danger'. The legal meaning — describing a conviction that cannot be relied upon — arose in British law during the late 20th century.