Peril Definitions

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PER'IL, n. [L. periculum, from Gr. to try, to attempt, that is, to strain; an attempt, danger, hazard; to pass, to thrust in or transfix; L. experior; Eng. experience.]
1. Danger; risk; hazard; jeopardy; particular exposure of person or property to injury,loss or destruction from any cause whatever.
In perils of waters; in perils of robbers. 2 Corinthians 11.
2. Danger denounced; particular exposure; You do it at your peril, or at the peril of your father's displeasure.
PER'IL, v.i. To be in danger. [Not used.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a source of danger; a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune; "drinking alcohol is a health hazard" [syn: hazard, jeopardy, peril, risk, endangerment]
2: a state of danger involving risk [syn: riskiness, peril]
3: a venture undertaken without regard to possible loss or injury; "he saw the rewards but not the risks of crime"; "there was a danger he would do the wrong thing" [syn: risk, peril, danger] v
1: pose a threat to; present a danger to; "The pollution is endangering the crops" [syn: endanger, jeopardize, jeopardise, menace, threaten, imperil, peril]
2: put in a dangerous, disadvantageous, or difficult position [syn: queer, expose, scupper, endanger, peril]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin periculum — more at fear Date: 13th century 1. exposure to the risk of being injured, destroyed, or lost ; danger <fire put the city in peril> 2. something that imperils ; risk <lessen the perils of the streets> II. transitive verb (-iled; also -illed; -iling; also -illing) Date: 1567 to expose to danger

English Explanatory Dictionary

?per?l?s adj. 1 full of risk; dangerous; hazardous. 2 exposed toimminent risk of destruction etc. øøperilously adv. perilousness n. [MEf. OF perillous f. L periculosus f. periculum: see PERIL]

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. serious and immediate danger. --v.tr. (perilled, perilling; US periled, periling) threaten; endanger. Phrases and idioms: at one's peril at one's own risk. in peril of with great risk to (in peril of your life). peril point US Econ. a critical threshold or limit. Etymology: ME f. OF f. L peric(u)lum

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Peril Per"il, n. [F. p['e]ril, fr. L. periculum, periclum, akin to peritus experienced, skilled, and E. fare. See Fare, and cf. Experience.] Danger; risk; hazard; jeopardy; exposure of person or property to injury, loss, or destruction. In perils of waters, in perils of robbers. --2 Cor. xi. 26. Adventure hard With peril great achieved. --Milton. At, or On, one's peril, with risk or danger to one; at the hazard of. ``On thy soul's peril.'' --Shak. Syn: Hazard; risk; jeopardy. See Danger.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Peril Per"il, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Periledor Perilled; p. pr. & vb. n. Periling or Perilling.] To expose to danger; to hazard; to risk; as, to peril one's life.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Peril Per"il, v. i. To be in danger. [Obs.] --Milton.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(perils) 1. Perils are great dangers. (FORMAL) ...the perils of the sea... We are in the gravest peril. N-VAR: usu with supp 2. The perils of a particular activity or course of action are the dangers or problems it may involve. ...the perils of starring in a television commercial. N-PLURAL: with poss 3. If you say that someone does something at their peril, you are warning them that they will probably suffer as a result of doing it. Anyone who breaks the law does so at their peril. PHRASE: PHR after v

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. Danger, hazard, jeopardy, risk. II. v. a. Risk, endanger, imperil, jeopard, hazard, put in danger, expose to danger.

Moby Thesaurus

breakers ahead, cardhouse, cause for alarm, compromise, crisis, danger, dangerous ground, desultoriness, emergency, encounter danger, endanger, endangerment, expose, exposure, gamble, gamble with, gaping chasm, gathering clouds, hazard, house of cards, imperil, imperilment, incur danger, infirmity, insecurity, insolidity, instability, insubstantiality, jeopard, jeopardize, jeopardy, lay open, liability, menace, openness, pass, perilousness, pinch, plight, precariousness, predicament, put in danger, put in jeopardy, quicksand, risk, riskiness, rocks ahead, shakiness, shiftiness, shiftingness, slipperiness, speculativeness, storm clouds, strait, subjection, susceptibility, thin ice, threat, ticklishness, treacherousness, treachery, unauthenticity, unauthoritativeness, uncertainty, undependability, unfaithworthiness, unreliability, unsolidity, unsoundness, unsteadfastness, unsteadiness, unsubstantiality, unsureness, untrustworthiness, vulnerability