Meaning & use
perilous
Last updated
UK/ˈpɛrələs/
US/ˈpɛrələs/
Meaning
adjectivecomparable
Involving a high chance of serious harm or loss.
Grammar: Can be used before a noun or after be: a perilous journey, the road was perilous.
Patterns
- a perilous journey
- perilous for someone
The perilous mountain path was covered in ice.
Sailors faced a perilous crossing in the winter storm.
The company's finances were in a perilous state.
Word forms
| comparative | more perilous |
|---|---|
| superlative | most perilous |
Common combinations
- perilous journey
- Refugees made a perilous journey across the desert.
- perilous situation
- The hikers found themselves in a perilous situation.
- perilous waters
- Ships avoid the perilous waters near the reef.
- perilous state
- The bridge was in a perilous state of repair.
- perilous undertaking
- Climbing without ropes is a perilous undertaking.
Synonyms and how they differ
- dangerous
- Dangerous is the common everyday word, while perilous sounds more dramatic and suits adventures or serious risks.
- hazardous
- Hazardous often describes work, materials or conditions with known risks, a more official tone than perilous.
- risky
- Risky is lighter and can mean merely uncertain, whereas perilous suggests a real threat of serious harm.
- precarious
- Precarious stresses being unstable and likely to fall or fail, rather than facing wide danger.
Opposites
Word family
- peril noun
- serious danger
- perilously adverb
- in a way that is very dangerous
- imperil verb
- to put in danger
- perilousness noun
- the state of being perilous
Commonly confused: perilous or parlous?
perilous vs parlous
Parlous is an old-fashioned word meaning dangerously bad, used for states and conditions; perilous is more widely used.
Practice
The explorers began a ___ crossing of the frozen sea, knowing the ice might break.
Choose one answer.
Perilous means full of danger, which fits the thin ice. The other options do not suit a risky crossing.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “perilous”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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