Synonyms

peril

American

[per-uhl] / ˈpɛr əl /

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)

periled, periling perilled, perilling

to expose to danger; imperil; risk.

peril British

/ ˈpɛrɪl /

noun

exposure to risk or harm; danger or jeopardy

"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

Related Words

See danger.

Other Word Forms

multiperil adjective
perilless adjective

Etymology

Origin of peril

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English, from Old French, from Latin perīculum “danger, test, trial,” from perī-, verb base meaning “try” (also found in the compound experīrī “to try, test”; experience ) + -culum -cle ²

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

As the Manual for Courts-Martial puts it, disobedience is “at the peril of the subordinate.”

From The Wall Street Journal

The peril for the Rams now is letting down their guard.

From Los Angeles Times

The England team ignore that at their peril.

From BBC

The atmosphere increased with the peril though, as fans responded to the contest emerging in front of them.

From BBC

Increasingly, we do so at our own peril, retreating into screens that bombard us with ever more fearsome stories of others, which causes us to retreat even further.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023