Meaning & use
peril
Serious danger or risk of harm, loss, or death, often ongoing or looming.
See it in a sentence
The sailors ignored every warning and set out to sea despite the peril.
Climate change puts coastal cities in increasing peril as sea levels rise.
A note on using this word
Peril is more literary and intense than "danger"; it often appears in phrases like "in peril" or "at peril of."
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
safety
Another way to use it
2. noun
A specific source of danger or harm within a broader risky situation.
Overfishing is one of the greatest perils facing ocean ecosystems today.
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