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:
“Legally Blonde” sets up Elle to be underestimated by everybody, including the audience, although the movie drops small hints from the very start that perhaps everyone misjudges her at their peril.
From Salon ● Jul. 6, 2026
But it is limited peril, because South Korea are still very likely to reach the last 32 as one of the eight best third-placed teams.
From BBC ● Jun. 25, 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
The fish may be monsters, and you may be afloat on a doomed vessel—a pirate ship, perhaps—unaware of the breadth and the depth of the peril it sails upon.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
The Platner disaster shows the danger in that thinking—and the perils of the macho attitude behind it.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
The perils of leaving a five-star review on a wing and a prayer.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 22, 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
Into what deadly perils he had gone alone I dared not guess.’
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
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
I have periled my life for it as have you all.
From The Eagle of the Empire A Story of Waterloo by Brady, Cyrus Townsend
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 had informed Butler's agent; he had watched day and night; had given the Unionists plans of the grounds; was now periling his own rescue to bring the arch-traitor to his doom.
From The Iron Game A Tale of the War by Keenan, Henry F. (Henry Francis)
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)
Their generous hostess, periling her own life for them, daily supplied them with food.
From Madame Roland, Makers of History by Abbott, John S. C. (John Stevens Cabot)
And you, sir, a citizen of high standing and repute, were detected in the act of transferring many of these important papers to a spy, thus periling the safety of the nation.
From Mary Louise by Baum, L. Frank (Lyman Frank)
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
Beyond this, and with reference to any possibility of saving the perilled man, he was probably quite as much in the dark as any of the others.
From The Coward A Novel of Society and the Field in 1863 by Morford, Henry
While I love my country as well as any man, and in this enterprise cheerfully perilled my life to serve it, I was only his co-worker: I should not have undertaken it alone.
From The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 14, No. 86, December, 1864 by Various
Is this young prince mad," they whispered one to another, "to risk the loss of that for which he perilled his life?
From The Thousand and One Days A Companion to the 'Arabian Nights' by Pardoe, Julia
Yesterday you perilled that venerable head to save me from the angry mob,--now let me shield you from the menacing phantoms of night and loneliness.
From Only a Girl: or, A Physician for the Soul. by Hillern, Wilhelmine von
But he answered, that "he could not stop to calculate chances, when his subjects were perilling their lives for his sake;" a reply, says Pulgar, which endeared him to the whole army.
From The History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic — Volume 2 by Prescott, William Hickling
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 Yonge, Charlotte Mary
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 Scott, Walter, Sir
It is not impossible, however, that in taking this step I may be perilling my own safety.
From Maurice Tiernay Soldier of Fortune by Lever, Charles James
That wife, whom it is your greatest pleasure to win to smiles, wears a half-sad look as she meets these proofs of love; she fears that you are perilling too much for her pleasure.
From Dream Life A Fable Of The Seasons by Mitchell, Donald Grant
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.
