definitions

perilous

[ per-uh-luhs ]
/ ˈpɛr ə ləs /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR perilous ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

involving or full of grave risk or peril; hazardous; dangerous: a perilous voyage across the Atlantic in a small boat.

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RELATED WORDS

uncertain, touchy, threatening, hazardous, shaky, treacherous, precarious, unstable, delicate, ticklish, rugged, dicey, risky, chancy, exposed, hairy, insecure, loaded, unhealthy, unsafe

Nearby words

peril point, perilabyrinthitis, perilaryngitis, perilla, perilla oil, perilous, perilune, perilymph, perilymphangitis, perilymphatic, perilymphatic duct

Origin of perilous

1250–1300; Middle English < Anglo-French perillous < Latin perīculōsus. See peril, -ous

Related forms

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for perilous

British Dictionary definitions for perilous

perilous

/ (ˈpɛrɪləs) /

adjective

very hazardous or dangerousa perilous journey

Derived Forms

perilously, adverbperilousness, noun
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