perilous

[per-uh-luhs]

adjective

1. involving or full of grave risk or peril; hazardous; dangerous.

   a perilous voyage across the Atlantic in a small boat.

   Synonyms: risky
   Antonyms: safe

perilous

/ ˈpɛrɪləs /

adjective

1. very hazardous or dangerous

   a perilous journey

Other Word Forms

• perilously adverb
• perilousness noun
• nonperilous adjective
• unperilous adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of perilous¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Anglo-French perillous, from Latin perīculōsus; peril, -ous

Example Sentences

Together, the team emphasizes that while SAI may seem like an attractive quick fix for global warming, the path to actually cooling the planet could be far more perilous and unpredictable than it appears.

Read more on Science Daily

Looking at the stock of debt accumulated over the years, the U.K. doesn’t look to be in the most perilous position.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

More than 45,000 people made the perilous sea crossing from Africa's west coast to the Spanish archipelago of the Canary Islands last year.

Read more on BBC

Recommended for ages 13 and older, “Election Day” will feature puppets in perilous conditions.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The incident was one of the most perilous events in the refinery’s 114-year history, adding to a long list of environmental and safety violations, according to public records reviewed by The Times.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• delicate 
• dicey 
• hazardous 
• precarious 
• risky 
• rugged 
• shaky 
• threatening 
• ticklish 
• touchy 
• treacherous 
• uncertain 
• unstable