peril

Intermediatezipf 3.40

Pronunciation

/ˈpɛrɪl/(PER-il)

Part of speech

nounformal

Chinese

危险；险境

Definition

Serious and immediate danger; exposure to the risk of harm or loss.

Word family

  • perilous/ˈpɛrɪləs/(adj)危险的
  • perilously(adv)危险地

Collocations

  • in peril
  • mortal peril
  • at your peril
  • peril of
  • perilous journey

Examples

  1. 1.The ship was in grave peril as the storm intensified and waves reached thirty feet. (serious danger)
  2. 2.Ignore the warning signs at your peril — the volcanic area is genuinely hazardous. (risk)

Synonyms

  • danger/ˈdeɪndʒər/— the possibility of harm — more common
  • hazard/ˈhæzərd/— a source of danger
  • jeopardy/ˈdʒɛpərdi/— danger of loss or harm

Etymology

from Latin "periculum" (danger, risk, trial) — related to "experiri" (to try) — the root also gives us "experience" and "experiment"