Peril Meaning
/ˈpɛɹɪl/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA situation of serious and immediate danger.
nounSomething that causes, contains, or presents danger.
Sentence Examples
Many wild animals are in peril of losing their lives.
They faced the peril of falling rocks.
He believed his immortal soul was in peril.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The experienced hikers were warned of the ____ of climbing the icy mountain in winter.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The sailors were in great ____ as the storm intensified and waves crashed over the deck.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English peril, from Old French peril, from Latin perīculum. Doublet of periculum.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Remember how much she had perilled for a fine house and gorgeous furniture, for carriages and horses, jewels and laces; and do not wonder if she clings with a desperate tenacity to gauds and gew-gaws, in the hour of her despair."
— 1862, Mary Elizabeth Braddon, Lady Audley's Secret:
""I will have nothing to do with this matter, whatever it is. Do you think I am going to peril my reputation for you?""
— 1891, Oscar Wilde, chapter XIV, in The Picture of Dorian Gray, London; New York, N.Y.: Ward Lock & Co., →OCLC:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The experienced hikers were warned of the ____ of climbing the icy mountain in winter.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The sailors were in great ____ as the storm intensified and waves crashed over the deck.