peril
Americannoun
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perils
plural
-
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)
noun
Synonym Usage
See danger.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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”; see experience) + -culum -cle 2
Explanation
If you realize mid-climb that your rock climbing rope is frayed, you might be in peril. The word peril means imminent danger to life and limb. Peril comes from the Latin peric(u)lum, meaning danger. Today it's often used in tandem with the word mortal, which relates to death. For example, you're in mortal peril when you're flying down a cliff-side trail on your mountain bike and you hit loose gravel. Peril can also describe dangers of a less physical sort, though it's less common. If your employer sinks your 401K into what turns out to be a Ponzi scheme, he's put your retirement in peril.
Vocabulary lists containing peril
"The Monkey's Paw" by W. W. Jacobs
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"The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell
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ACT Vocabulary List
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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.
See Examples For:
Does he want to do the same, and put his court in similar peril?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
This moment of peril illustrates the layers making up the modern battlefield.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
"This sounds theoretical and naive but you know you destroy nature at your peril and I think we see around the world the consequences of nature degradation," she said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026
And he fundamentally gets the peril we’ve put ourselves in by entrusting Zuckerberg, who is, at minimum, an ethically askew man.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
If you have indeed come from Moria, the peril cannot be far behind.
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
Conflict is ever-present in Morrison, who chooses to climb Everest despite its perils.
From Salon ● Nov. 1, 2026
Industry figures have suggested comments about the perils and power of AI may be designed to generate hype.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
She was also, in her own unique way, a dedicated revolutionary, rarely letting an opportunity pass to use her appearance to point out the perils and absurdity of stereotyping.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
But that same episode illustrated the perils of trusting markets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
He spoke of the perils of changing, above all when the wizard transforms his own shape and thus is liable to be caught in his own spell.
From "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin
One night last week an old dog periled the Earl's new job.
From Time Magazine Archive
Whether Franklin Roosevelt consciously led the U.S. to war, or hoped to keep the U.S. out by a daring support of its periled friends, will be historians' debating ground for years to come.
From Time Magazine Archive
We all realize that we live in periled times, and our nation must be prepared to defend itself at a moment's notice.
From Time Magazine Archive
Captain Shier was as gallant an officer as any who periled his life on that famous battle field; and not only a fine soldier but a polished scholar and an accomplished gentleman as well.
From Personal Recollections of a Cavalryman With Custer's Michigan Cavalry Brigade in the Civil War by James Harvey Kidd
He exacted the utmost consideration for his men, and the officer who periled their safety, or disputed their efficiency, was quickly called to account.
From Robert Toombs Statesman, Speaker, Soldier, Sage by Pleasant A. Stovall
Justice Department attorneys respond that fears about Snepp's being a loose cannon periling the First Amendment rights of all sorts of people are greatly exaggerated.
From Time Magazine Archive
It was the unhandsome treatment of himself and reckless periling of the character and interests of his Expedition in order to shield others, that raised his indignation.
From The Personal Life of David Livingstone by William Garden Blaikie
Too comfortable in his feelings to keep still, as indeed was indispensable to the most steady among us, he kept constantly lurching about, and periling us with a capsizing repeatedly.
From Forest Life and Forest Trees: comprising winter camp-life among the loggers, and wild-wood adventure. with Descriptions of lumbering operations on the various rivers of Maine and New Brunswick by John S. Springer
He was one of those men, who, under more favorable circumstances, would have been a Cook, a Parry, or a Franklin, periling everything to make farther discovery in the science of geography.
From International Weekly Miscellany of Literature, Art, and Science — Volume 1, No. 4, July 22, 1850 by Various
As to her periling her life, those Marsh people are amphibious anyway, or would be in those clothes.
From The Heritage of Dedlow Marsh and Other Tales by Bret Harte
But a monarch of the forest flung his head in furious rage, Naught he cared for sovereign sahib, sought some foe now to engage; While the crowd in panic parted, perilled pundits sought a sage.
From Time Magazine Archive
I could not possibly think of using your eyes, precious and perilled as they are, instead of my own.
From Records of Later Life by Fanny Kemble
As she bowed slightly to him, she lifted her glass to her eye, and then dropped it suddenly with a gentle simper, as though to say that another glance would have perilled her gravity.
From The Daltons, Volume II (of II) Or,Three Roads In Life by Charles James Lever
In that case," said Nina, quietly, "Mademoiselle has only perilled herself for nothing.
From The Daltons, Volume I (of II) Or,Three Roads In Life by Charles James Lever
It ought, we think, to be regarded as one fundamental law, that whatever has been gained by the seven years’ establishment of the Fund, should not be lightly perilled by bold and untried innovations.
From Leading Articles on Various Subjects by John Davidson
How should she separate these two beautiful faiths which had been enthroned as one in the happy depths of her guileless heart, without perilling her very trust in God!
From The Royal Pawn of Venice A Romance of Cyprus by Mrs. Lawrence Turnbull
About noon Dennis noticed that some shanties on the sand near them were in danger of catching fire and perilling all in that vicinity.
From Barriers Burned Away by Edward Payson Roe
However much her demagogues may have exerted their oratorical powers at home, they carefully avoided perilling either life or limb in the cause of the revolution.
From Pius IX. And His Time by Æneas MacDonell Dawson
She felt extreme reluctance in perilling her home.
From What Can She Do? by Edward Payson Roe
It is not impossible, however, that in taking this step I may be perilling my own safety.
From Maurice Tiernay Soldier of Fortune by Charles James Lever
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