PERIL Synonyms: 67 Similar and Opposite Words

peril 1 of 2

noun

ˈper-əl

Definition of peril

as in threat

something that may cause injury or harm life is full of unexpected perils

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in risk

the state of not being protected from injury, harm, or evil they were unhappy about sending their son into peril overseas

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

peril

2 of 2

verb

ˈper-əl

as in to endanger

to place in danger a tribute to the men and women who, as firefighters, peril their lives daily

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of peril

Noun

Take him for granted at your own peril during the Division 1 playoffs. — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026 Iñárritu and screen writer Guillermo Arriaga involve six families, most of them not known to one another, in four countries on three continents in their story of random fate and the perils of being unable to communicate. — Ray Bennett, HollywoodReporter, 27 Oct. 2026 There’s a dumb ending, involving the Bewitched theme and Dennis Rodman discussing the perils of adult illiteracy (sure), but everything before that is pretty fun, including the Bumblebee Man turning into a bumblebee and Lisa into Albert Einstein. — Joshua Kurp, Vulture, 26 Oct. 2026 The Elon Musk risk This whole episode serves as a potent reminder for every business of the unique perils and risks of dealing with Musk. — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Steven Tian, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for peril

Recent Examples of Synonyms for peril

Noun

Officers responded to the museum on Oakwood Boulevard on Saturday evening after learning of the possible threat.

— CBS News, CBS News, 8 Nov. 2026
Federal district judges, even at the risk of physical threats, played a key role by throttling unconstitutional White House efforts to seize state voting records, curtail mail-in voting and manipulate the count in Alaska.

— James D. Zirin, Washington Post, 8 Nov. 2026

Definition of threat

Noun

Wildlife crossings being built across California to help reduce collisions between animals and vehicles are not enough to protect the state’s at-risk wildlife and should be enhanced with extensive fencing, according to a new UC study.

— Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 11 Nov. 2026
Dangerously large breaking waves can overpower swimmers, pulling people into the sea from beaches, jetties, and rocks resulting in significant physical injury and increasing the risk of drowning.

— CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 11 Nov. 2026

Definition of risk

Verb

The university found violations involving hazing, endangering behavior and alcohol, resulting in 13 months of probation for the fraternity, university records show.

— Gloria Pazmino, CNN Money, 9 Nov. 2026
Gusting winds, steep terrain, and dry conditions can accelerate fire spread, endangering lives, homes, wildlife, and surrounding communities.

— Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 8 Nov. 2026

Definition of endanger

Noun

During the second quarter of this year there were 14 immediate jeopardy findings, representing a spike, but in the third quarter the numbers dropped back down to eight.

— Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 27 Oct. 2026
Deadline first revealed last month that BBC Three, the youth network that has given rise to beloved British series including Fleabag and Gavin & Stacey, was in serious jeopardy.

— Jake Kanter, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of jeopardy

Verb

The strikes also aimed to limit Tehran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping near the Strait of Hormuz.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2026
Warren’s appearance was part of a broader progressive push to reinforce el Sayed’s candidacy after Stevens’s defection threatened to deepen divisions among Michigan Democrats at a critical moment in the Senate contest.

— Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of threaten

Noun

Mentors also can recognize when someone is in trouble and connect them with resources, such as a group that focuses on post-traumatic stress disorder.

— Susan Sarkauskas, Chicago Tribune, 11 Nov. 2026
Wall Street giants have hundreds of billions of dollars riding on Jensen Huang, but sound remarkably unfazed by the trouble the company is in.

— Ellen DiMauro, semafor.com, 10 Nov. 2026

Definition of trouble

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peril

periled

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“Peril.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/peril. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of peril

noun

verb

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