peril
Americannoun
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
ACT Vocabulary List
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Anthropic’s 400-page IPO prospectus portrays AI as both a promise and a peril, the WSJ reports.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026
His key judgement, however, will be a balance between extra financial and economic support and the peril of still elevated borrowing costs.
From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026
Joe Barrett chronicles Stafford’s unraveling and the growing peril of digital love traps.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 25, 2026
Add to those a declining catch, warming water which is pushing what Train called the lobster "sweet spot" out deeper and a shifting tariff policy, and Maine's singular coastal heritage industry is facing peril.
From Barron's ● Oct. 24, 2026
And they must be hardy men that go willingly, knowing their peril.’
From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien
Conflict is ever-present in Morrison, who chooses to climb Everest despite its perils.
From Salon ● Nov. 1, 2026
Attempts to combat militancy with more active army operations could come with its own perils too, Sheikh argues.
From BBC ● Oct. 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
She found that becoming a caregiver held its own perils.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
Whatever perils lay ahead, it seemed better to float down the broad tide of Anduin to meet them than to plod forward with bent backs.
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
One night last week an old dog periled the Earl's new job.
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
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
Whitman periled every thing and lost his life to save the country.
From A History of Oregon, 1792-1849 Drawn From Personal Observation and Authentic Information by William Henry Gray
"Another young man periled his life for you," some one answered; but who it was Dorothy could not learn, and in that moment she was glad enough to call for Jack—poor, faithful Jack Garner.
From Pretty Madcap Dorothy Or, How She Won a Lover by Laura Jean Libbey
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
He was still holding fast his faith in General McClellan, and this was steadily widening the breach between him and Congress, and periling the success of the war.
From Political Recollections 1840 to 1872 by George W. Julian
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
I am that Swedish child he saved from the river Rhine, periling life and limb, losing his sight for me.
From Darkness and Daylight by Mary Jane Holmes
The case of the colored man Davis, who made such a bold stroke to regain his liberty, by periling his life on board the steamer Keystone State, has excited very general attention.
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
Discovery would not only have perilled my own life, but also have involved those of my kind protectors.
From Arthur O'Leary His Wanderings And Ponderings In Many Lands by Charles James Lever
They feared God, and perilled their lives for freedom, in the high places of the field.
From The Genius of Scotland or Sketches of Scottish Scenery, Literature and Religion by Robert Turnbull
In fact, Rigges went so far as to pretend that he had himself perilled life in the attempt to secure him.
From A Day's Ride A Life's Romance by Charles James Lever
When a moral disease so fearful as this appears, parents should never rest till they have found the seat of it, and convinced the perilled child of the deadly nature of its malady.
From Household Education by Harriet Martineau
The editor could dedicate his paper to the service of Janus, the two-faced deity, and thus pursue his business without perilling his reputation for religious consistency.
From Punchinello, Volume 1, No. 10, June 4, 1870 by Various
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
"Ay, but methinks the Soldan might regard it as too unequal a mode of perilling the chance of a royal bride and the event of a great war," said the Emir.
From The Talisman by Sir Walter Scott
And I," said William with the Long Sword, Earl of Salisbury, "protest in my turn against my royal brother perilling his life, which is the property of the people of England, in such a cause.
From The Talisman by Sir Walter Scott
So he spoke solemnly to him, warning him against perilling his future by relapsing into his old courses in Charleston.
From Stories by American Authors, Volume 7 by Various
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
