perilous
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- nonperilous adjective
- perilously adverb
- perilousness noun
- unperilous adjective
Etymology
Origin of perilous
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Anglo-French perillous, from Latin perīculōsus; see peril, -ous
Explanation
Something that is dangerous or very risky can be described with the adjective perilous. If you are driving in a blizzard, you may kick yourself for making such a perilous journey. The adjective perilous comes from the Latin word periculum, meaning dangerous. Words from the same root include peril, a noun meaning a dangerous situation, and imperil, a verb meaning to put in danger. The last thing you want to do as a parent is to imperil your children. Unfortunately, childhood is filled with peril — from climbing on the monkey bars to eating paste, dirt, or bugs. If you think you can prevent all perilous situations, you haven't been a parent very long!
Vocabulary lists containing perilous
The Star-Spangled Banner
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"Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare, Act I
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"The Odyssey" by Homer, Books 8–13
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The minutes-long standstill forced several people into the street; many more, including my husband and his cane, engaged in a potentially perilous stutter-step around the two knee-high, randomly moving yet noncommunicative vehicles.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026
That said, relying on a future inheritance is a perilous strategy for compensation.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026
The World Health Organisation said that the conflict was at a "perilous stage" and called for restraint.
From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026
"The war in the Middle East has reached a perilous stage" with the strikes on Natanz and Dimona, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X.
From Barron's • Mar. 22, 2026
When he turned from her he had for a moment a perilous sense of ease and freedom, which was more acute because he knew that soon it was to be shattered.
From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
