Pericolosa

Pericolosa is the feminine singular form of the Italian adjective pericoloso, meaning dangerous. It is used to describe feminine nouns or subjects and can appear in sentences such as la strada è pericolosa, meaning the road is dangerous. The word is commonly found in warnings, descriptions of risks, and safety-related discourse, as well as in everyday language to characterize situations, objects, or environments that involve danger.

Etymology and grammatical notes: Pericolosa derives from the Latin periculosus, itself from periculum, meaning danger. In Italian, the adjective shows gender and number agreement: pericoloso (masculine singular), pericolosa (feminine singular), pericolosi (masculine plural), pericolose (feminine plural). The adverbial form is pericolosamente. The form pericolosa typically modifies feminine nouns, either attributively (una zona pericolosa) or predicatively (la situazione è pericolosa).

Usage and nuances: The term conveys a range of risk levels from cautionary to severe, depending on context. It appears in signage, safety manuals, journalism, and literary or cinematic descriptions. Common collocations include stratagems like situazione pericolosa, attività pericolosa, and zona pericolosa. While it is primarily a descriptive adjective, it is not used as a standalone noun in standard Italian.

See also: pericolo, pericolosità. The related nouns cover the concepts of danger and hazard, while the feminine form pericolosa is one of several inflected forms used to express safety-related judgments in Italian.