peril

[ per-uhl ]
See synonyms for peril on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. exposure to injury, loss, or destruction; grave risk; jeopardy; danger: They faced the peril of falling rocks.

  2. something that causes or may cause injury, loss, or destruction.

verb (used with object),per·iled, per·il·ing or (especially British) per·illed, per·il·ling.
  1. to expose to danger; imperil; risk.

Origin of peril

1
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 -cle2

synonym study For peril

1. See danger.

Other words from peril

  • per·il·less, adjective
  • mul·ti·per·il, adjective, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use peril in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for peril

peril

/ (ˈpɛrɪl) /


noun
  1. exposure to risk or harm; danger or jeopardy

Origin of peril

1
C13: via Old French from Latin perīculum

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