Skip to the word

Added 9 October 2026

peril

/ˈpɛɹɪl/ noun

In Latin: periculum Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about peril at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A situation of serious and immediate danger.
Your life is in peril.
Something that causes, contains, or presents danger.
the perils of the jungle (animals and insects, weather, etc.)
An event which causes a loss, or the risk of a specific such event.

verb

To cause to be in danger; to imperil; to risk. .mw-parser-output .defdate{font-size:smaller}

Origin

From Middle English peril, from Old French peril, from Latin perīculum. Doublet of periculum.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Back to today's word