peril

[ per-uhl ]

/ ˈpɛr əl /

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See synonyms for: peril / periled / periling / perilled on Thesaurus.com

noun

exposure to injury, loss, or destruction; grave risk; jeopardy; danger: They faced the peril of falling rocks.

something that causes or may cause injury, loss, or destruction.

verb (used with object), per·iled, per·il·ing or (especially British) per·illed, per·il·ling.

to expose to danger; imperil; risk.

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Origin of peril

1175–1225; Middle English <Old French <Latin perīculum trial, test, danger, equivalent to perī-, verb base meaning “try” (found in the compound experīrī;see experience) + -culum-cle²

synonym study for peril

1. See danger.

OTHER WORDS FROM peril

per·il·less, adjectivemul·ti·per·il, adjective, noun

Words nearby peril

Périgueux, perigynous, perigyny, perihelion, perikaryon, peril, perilla, perilla oil, perilous, perilously, peril point

How to use peril in a sentence

Day cares have long operated on slim margins, and the pandemic has thrown them into financial peril.
D.C.’s day-care employees criticize the city’s vaccine plan for prioritizing school staff over them|Perry Stein|January 22, 2021|Washington Post
Naked ambitionAll this week I’ll be writing about “Purity” and Audrey Munson, a forgotten figure in the history of American film and a tragic example of the perils of celebrity.
Remembering the most scandalous film ever (not) shown in Washington|John Kelly|January 10, 2021|Washington Post
Every several recipes, Martin breaks to detail life on the water — and highlight the peril Louisiana’s coastline faces.
As customers and coastlines disappear, a New Orleans chef fights for her community|Dayana Sarkisova|December 17, 2020|Washington Post
Followers of late artists have in turn helped bring to light the perils of the music industry, in hopes of promoting change.
After the untimely deaths of young rappers, fans are determined to continue their legacy|Ilana Kaplan|December 4, 2020|Washington Post

At least 46 million jobs supported by air transport are in peril.
Delta and Alitalia are bringing back quarantine-free flights between the U.S. and Europe|David Meyer|November 26, 2020|Fortune
We separate the search for justice from the search for truth at our peril.
Bill de Blasio’s Tea Party Problem|Will Cain|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Facts have weight and mass, and we ignore them or abuse them at our own peril.
The Facts About Ferguson Matter, Dammit|Doug McIntyre|December 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I was lost, fresh back from Vietnam, searching, maybe, for a peril the equivalent of war but aimed in the direction of life.
What It Takes to Kill a Grizzly Bear|Doug Peacock|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Now poaching is on the rise and wildlife conservation in peril.
Ebola Could Deal a Death Blow to Africa’s Wildlife|Brandon Presser|November 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Rick must shepherd his newborn daughter, Judith, through this world of peril.
The Walking Dead’s Luke Skywalker: Rick Grimes Is the Perfect Modern-Day Mythical Hero|Regina Lizik|October 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I must aspire to the agitating transports of self-devotion, in scenes of sacrifice and peril!
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
They tobogganed down hills without a brake at the imminent peril of their lives.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
That caused me certain fevers, for as he died in the country outside this city in a garden his property was in great peril.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
Lyn was no chicken-hearted weakling, to sit down and weep unavailingly in time of peril.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
Madame Roland distinctly saw and deeply felt the peril to which she and her friends were exposed.
Madame Roland, Makers of History|John S. C. Abbott

British Dictionary definitions for peril

peril

/ (ˈpɛrɪl) /

noun

exposure to risk or harm; danger or jeopardy

Word Origin for peril

C13: via Old French from Latin perīculum

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

peril

Origin of peril

synonym study for peril

OTHER WORDS FROM peril

Words nearby peril

Words related to peril

How to use peril in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for peril

Word Origin for peril