Definition

1. Noun:

   • A serious and immediate danger: A state or situation involving serious risk of harm, loss, or destruction.
   • The possibility of something bad happening; risk: Exposure to the chance of injury, loss, or misfortune.
   • Something that causes or may cause such danger; a hazard: A specific source or instance of danger.

2. Verb:

   • To expose to danger; to imperil: To put someone or something into a situation of serious risk.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • The explorers faced great peril in the uncharted jungle.
  • Ignoring the warning signs puts everyone in peril.
  • The storm posed a direct peril to the coastal village.

• Verb:

  • His reckless actions could peril the entire mission.
  • The economic crisis has periled the stability of the region.

Advanced Usage

• "At one's peril": Used to warn that if someone does a particular thing, they may suffer serious consequences or be responsible for them.
  • You ignore the doctor's advice at your peril.
• "In peril of": In imminent danger of (something negative).
  • The ancient forest is in peril of being destroyed by logging.

Variants and Related Words

• Perilous (adjective): Full of danger or risk.
  • It was a perilous journey across the mountains.
• Perilously (adverb): In a way that is full of danger.
  • The vase was perched perilously close to the edge of the table.

Synonyms

• Noun: Danger, jeopardy, hazard, risk, threat.
• Verb: Endanger, jeopardize, imperil, threaten, risk.

Related Phrases

• "Flaming peril": An idiom emphasizing extreme and obvious danger (often used for dramatic effect).
  • He rushed into the flaming peril to save the child.
• "Peril of the sea": A legal and insurance term referring to dangers or accidents peculiar to sea travel.
  • The cargo was lost due to a peril of the sea.

Notes on Different Meanings

• The noun form is more commonly used than the verb form in modern English. The verb "peril" is often replaced by "imperil" or "endanger."
• In formal or literary contexts, "peril" often conveys a sense of grave and imminent danger, whereas "risk" can imply a calculated chance.

Noun

1. 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
2. a state of danger involving risk
3. a source of danger; a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune
   • drinking alcohol is a health hazard

Verb

1. put in a dangerous, disadvantageous, or difficult position
2. pose a threat to; present a danger to
   • The pollution is endangering the crops