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Synonyms

perilously

American  
[per-uh-luhs-lee] / ˈpɛr ə ləs li /

adverb

  1. in a way or to a degree that is full of grave risk or peril; dangerously.

    That lighthouse has always been perilously close to the ever-eroding cliffs.

Other Word Forms

  • nonperilously adverb
  • unperilously adverb

Etymology

Origin of perilously

perilous ( def. ) + -ly

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.

"Farke will have been nervous about the fact that Leeds were going perilously close to relegation. This victory goes a long way to securing their Premier League status."

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

Perched perilously just three points above the Premier League relegation zone, Forest's main aim is to avoid dropping into the Championship.

From Barron's • Feb. 19, 2026

This time, they made the leap from software to hardware, convinced investors they weren’t crazy, came perilously close to running out of money—and built a hit product.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 13, 2025

When it gets a big snow, as it did earlier this month, the trail becomes buried and the whole slope becomes perilously steep.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 27, 2025

Leaning perilously over the edge, she dangled her axe head first, with the shaft strap wound around her wrist.

From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver

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.