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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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

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 Yes, there is the expedition and the sort of peril and problems that come with that. — Alex Ritman, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for peril

Recent Examples of Synonyms for peril

Noun

Fiscal threats from Washington are putting our financial future at risk.

— Ryder Kessler, New York Daily News, 1 Nov. 2026
The systems also have the ability to react to drone threats that are detected using both passive and active sensor systems, such as electro-optical and infrared cameras, or Ku-band radars.

— Muskan Bhatia, Interesting Engineering, 1 Nov. 2026

Definition of threat

Noun

Kim called for a public nonprofit disaster insurance program that would cover wildfire risks for existing homes.

— Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026
The cold-testing program is intended to identify potential problems before the magnets are integrated into the machine, reducing risks during commissioning and future operation.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of risk

Noun

Earlier this week, missiles fired by the Houthis struck a residential area in Taiz, killing two teenage girls and renewing attention on the dangers faced by civilians.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
Gigantic Fantastic also explores the development of steroids themselves, their physiological effects, as well as other image and performance-enhancing drugs and their dangers.

— Gavin Francis, The New York Review of Books, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of danger

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

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periapts

peril

periled

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Style

“Peril.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/peril. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of peril

noun

verb

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