Gevaarlijkste

Gevaarlijkste is the superlative form of the Dutch adjective gevaarlijk, meaning the most dangerous. It is used to identify the extreme degree of danger within a defined group or set, for example when comparing people, animals, situations, or places. The form can appear in various contexts, from factual writing to journalism and everyday speech.

In Dutch, superlatives can be formed with a suffix or with the word meest. The adjective gevaarlijk takes the suffix -ste to yield gevaarlijkste, which is commonly used after a definite article or when the comparison is written as a single attributive unit. For example, de gevaarlijkste auto in de race means the most dangerous car in the race, and Hij is de gevaarlijkste crimineel in de stad means He is the most dangerous criminal in the city. Gevaarlijkest can also function as a predicative modifier after a linking verb, as in Het pad is het gevaarlijkste van het hele gebied.

Gevaarlijkste can also be understood in terms of style. In some cases, speakers may opt for the phrase meest gevaarlijke (the most dangerous) instead of the suffix form, especially with longer adjectives or to emphasize a contrast within a broader description. Both forms are grammatical, and the choice often depends on emphasis, rhythm, or regional preference.

Overall, gevaarlijkste is a standard, neutral term used to denote the pinnacle of danger within a specified set, and it remains common in both formal and informal Dutch.