peril 1 of 2

noun

ˈper-əl How to pronounce peril (audio)
Definition of perilnext
1
as in threat
something that may cause injury or harm life is full of unexpected perils

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in risk
the state of not being protected from injury, harm, or evil they were unhappy about sending their son into peril overseas

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

peril

2 of 2

verb

ˈper-əl How to pronounce peril (audio)
as in to endanger
to place in danger a tribute to the men and women who, as firefighters, peril their lives daily

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
Such is the case here, with Glenn Howerton delivering a masterclass on the perils of our increasingly tech-dependent world. — Dennis Perkins, Entertainment Weekly, 28 July 2026 Will the tap stay open, or will a God-like hand reach down and turn it off at their peril? — Ashish Bhatia, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026 Hard times for Mike Norvell and Bill Belichick … and lemme also point out Arkansas’ peril in Year 1 for Ryan Silverfield. — Jason Kirk, New York Times, 24 July 2026 More often, though, the issue is tied to culture, which global brands ignore at their peril. — Karen Stollznow, The Conversation, 23 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for peril
Recent Examples of Synonyms for peril
  1. threat
  2. risk
  3. endanger
  4. danger
  5. jeopardy
  6. threaten
  7. trouble
Noun
  • Secret Service officials have also highlighted threats against Trump from foreign actors, including Iran—amid the ongoing war.
    — Antonio Pequeño IV, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Experts agree that even lower temperatures can pose health threats to vulnerable populations, especially when combined with high humidity.
    — Drew Kann, AJC.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of threat
Noun
  • An executive order followed in August 2025, then OCC bulletins in September telling banks to base service decisions on objective risk.
    — Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Given the risk of punishment or even execution, some contributions are anonymized or voices altered.
    — Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of risk
Verb
  • Three people were arrested Tuesday on charges of endangering the welfare of a minor following the dog attack that killed a 2-year-old girl in March near North Little Rock, the Pulaski County sheriff's office said Tuesday.
    — Rafael Escalera Montoto, Arkansas Online, 5 Aug. 2026
  • But the department has been running into opposition by landowners, environmental groups, Native American tribes and others who argue that the rapid construction endangers environmental and religious sites and a way of life along the border.
    — Rebecca Santana, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of endanger
Noun
  • One more point cuts against the simple story that more capability means more danger.
    — Ashish Bhatia, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • In addition to the extreme heat, there is extreme fire danger for the Pacific Northwest, where the wildfire season in Oregon and Washington is already off to a record pace.
    — Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of danger
Noun
  • But Republicans have argued that any false statements made in new testimony could expose him to fresh legal jeopardy, a possibility Paul openly discussed before the hearing.
    — Nik Popli, Time, 29 July 2026
  • When that fragile future is suddenly thrown into jeopardy by the birth mother expressing regrets, both Irene and the baby flee into the night.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 24 July 2026
Definition of jeopardy
Verb
  • With funding now threatened, Duncan fears that programs serving underserved schools could be cut, saying that the money is invaluable to Los Angeles.
    — Hunter Sowards, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Their escalating ambitions threaten to tear the community apart.
    — John Hopewell, Variety, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of threaten
Noun
  • The little device that could cause big trouble Federal investigators are looking into mini computer devices commonly used by water utilities and other organizations.
    — AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Shipyard capacity troubles Money isn’t the only variable in the battleship plan.
    — Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of trouble

Browse Nearby Words

periapts
peril
periled
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Peril.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/peril. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on peril

Nglish: Translation of peril for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of nurture

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All