perilous

adjective

per·​il·​ous ˈper-ə-ləs How to pronounce perilous (audio)
ˈpe-rə-
: full of or involving peril
a perilous journey
perilously adverb
perilousness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for perilous

dangerous, hazardous, precarious, perilous, risky mean bringing or involving the chance of loss or injury.

dangerous applies to something that may cause harm or loss unless dealt with carefully.

soldiers on a dangerous mission

hazardous implies great and continuous risk of harm or failure.

claims that smoking is hazardous to your health

precarious suggests both insecurity and uncertainty.

earned a precarious living by gambling

perilous strongly implies the immediacy of danger.

perilous mountain roads

risky often applies to a known and accepted danger.

shied away from risky investments

Examples of perilous in a Sentence

a perilous journey across the mountains a perilous journey through hostile territory
Recent Examples on the Web Expressing support for the Russian opposition figure, whose movement authorities outlawed as extremist, can be perilous. Darya Tarasova, CNN, 10 Mar. 2024 The struggle against the disease has entered an unpredictable, perilous new phase. Terrence McCoy, Washington Post, 10 Mar. 2024 After chronicling their perilous and frightening 45-day voyage, the author goes on to describe the sale of the 103 survivors of the journey to various enslavers in Alabama, their five years of bondage, and their hardscrabble lives following emancipation. Barbara Spindel, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Mar. 2024 In the book, this results in a wickedly smart and perilous toddler-priestess. Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2024 The mountain pass, which can be perilous in snow, is named for the infamous Donner Party, a group of pioneers who resorted to cannibalism after getting trapped there in the winter of 1846-1847. Julie Watson, Fortune, 5 Mar. 2024 To some, the timing of the legislation is especially perilous. Tovia Smith, NPR, 1 Mar. 2024 That’s a lot of unnecessary misery, all caused by the perilous pursuit of profit. Peter Ubel, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 The misconduct investigation has disrupted the Helsinki Commission at a perilous time for Ukraine and its relationship with Congress. Thomas Gibbons-Neff, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'perilous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English perilous, perelous, borrowed from Anglo-French perilleus, perillous, going back to Latin perīculōsus, from perīculum "test, risk, peril entry 1" + -ōsus -ous

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of perilous was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near perilous

Cite this Entry

“Perilous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perilous. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

perilous

adjective
per·​il·​ous ˈper-ə-ləs How to pronounce perilous (audio)
: full of or involving peril
perilously adverb
perilousness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on perilous

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