peril
Americannoun
-
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:
This is the backdrop to comments from Steve Reed, the former communities secretary and doughty defender of Sir Keir at some of his moments of most intense peril.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
People fleeing persecution because of their political beliefs, gender or sexuality, and how they pray will face certain peril.
From Salon ● Jun. 28, 2026
His exit foreshadows the peril to come at Sunnyside Daycare.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026
But the federal sign-off does not end the deal's legal peril.
From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026
They heard the roar of voices and the thudding of the rams; and then in a sudden flash of light they beheld the peril of the gates.
From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien
The Platner disaster shows the danger in that thinking—and the perils of the macho attitude behind it.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
What could they teach us about the power and perils of hero worship in a community that has produced too few figures of Chávez’s stature?
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026
“ProPublica’s reporting shows the perils of not having this law,” Rubin said.
From Salon ● Jun. 16, 2026
The “Histories” of Herodotus, likely composed in the mid-fifth-century B.C., recounted the Persian defeat as a paradigm of the perils of reckless imperialism.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 25, 2026
A great loss, however, was the death of the trusty pilot Palinurus who was drowned as they neared the end of their perils by sea.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
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
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
The moment Maria Antoinette saw him, forgetful of her own danger, and trembling for the body-guard who had periled their lives for her family, she exclaimed, "Monsieur La Fayette, save the body-guard."
From Maria Antoinette Makers of History by Abbott, John S. C. (John Stevens Cabot)
The Count de Fersen, a most noble-spirited young gentleman from Sweden, most cheerfully periled his life in undertaking the exterior arrangements of this hazardous enterprise.
From Maria Antoinette Makers of History by Abbott, John S. C. (John Stevens Cabot)
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 reconnoitred every available point, searched every corner of possible danger, and as the time passed he began to rage with impatience against Dick, whose delay was now periling the success of the enterprise.
From The Iron Game A Tale of the War by Keenan, Henry F. (Henry Francis)
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
No one could then manifest any sympathy with the proscribed without periling life.
From Josephine Makers of History by Abbott, John S. C. (John Stevens Cabot)
For now it came to me that while I would be saving life, mayhap I had been periling it again.
From The Master of Appleby A Novel Tale Concerning Itself in Part with the Great Struggle in the Two Carolinas; but Chiefly with the Adventures Therein of Two Gentlemen Who Loved One and the Same Lady by Lynde, Francis
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 Kemble, Fanny
It is wonderful how truth has been perilled by passion.
From The Limits Of Atheism Or, Why should Sceptics be Outlaws? by Holyoake, George Jacob
Rica's connection with Corrigan suggested to Linton's inventive mind the possibility of succeeding to that estate for which already he had perilled so much.
From Roland Cashel Volume II (of II) by Lever, Charles James
His feelings toward the devoted and interesting maiden, who had perilled and suffered so much on his account, were enthusiastic in the highest degree.
From The Cavaliers of Virginia or, The Recluse of Jamestown. Vol. II by Caruthers, William A. (Alexander)
Ten of these were serving in the Union army perilling their lives to maintain that national fabric, which their illustrious ancestor had done so much to establish.
From Benjamin Franklin A Picture of the Struggles of Our Infant Nation One Hundred Years Ago American Pioneers and Patriots Series by Abbott, John S. C. (John Stevens Cabot)
We saw him t’other night perilling his life to stop the poor crazy prentices, and save the foreigners.
From The Armourer's Prentices by Hennessy, W.J.
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
One of these rocks—Longstone Island—Grace Darling rendered memorable by her intrepidity in perilling her life during the storm of September, 1838.
From England, Picturesque and Descriptive A Reminiscence of Foreign Travel by Cook, Joel
But what was to be done with my dear wounded friend, who had saved my life by perilling his own?
From Working in the Shade Lowly Sowing brings Glorious Reaping by Wilson, Theodore P.
Definitions 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.
