SINCE 1828

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

yellow peril

noun, often capitalized Y&P

Definition of yellow peril

1 :a danger to Western civilization held to arise from expansion of the power and influence of eastern Asian peoples

2 :a threat to Western living standards from the influx of eastern Asian laborers willing to work for very low wages

First Known Use of yellow peril

1897

Learn More about yellow peril

See words that rhyme with yellow peril

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up yellow peril? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

WORD OF THE DAY

holus-bolus

play

all at once

Words at Play

alt-59c17b8172892

'So Long': A Common But Mysterious Goodbye

Its origins are surprisingly murky.

alt-59c13729150dc

"Immune to" or "Immune from"?

Nobody is immune to this question.

alt-59bff395cf879

What's Going On With 'Nonplussed'?

Its recent usage is hard to shrug off.

alt-59bad350d88f1

Welcome to the New Words

From 'hive mind' to 'sriracha'

Ask the Editors

video-title-words-of-the-year-1066

Words of the Year: 1066

Or, Why Pig Meat is Called 'Pork' and Cow Meat is Called 'Beef'

How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Don't get us started on 'bimonthly'

video-irregardless-grammar-peeve-blend-of-the-synonyms-irrespective-and-regardless

Irregardless

It is in fact a real word (but that doesn't mean you should use it).

video-moose-goose-weird-plurals

Weird Plurals

One goose, two geese. One moose, two... moose. What's up with that?

Word Games

stylized-drawing-of-woman-pole-vaulting-across-gap-to-get-trophy

Challenging Vocabulary Quiz Returns!

No tricks, just difficult words.

Take the quiz

Name that Color!

NEW! Additional colors! More obscure than before!

Take the quiz

How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

Take the quiz

Citation

Do you know the person or title these quotes describe?

Play the game