The best synonyms for peril are danger, jeopardy, hazard, risk, threat, and menace. Peril means serious, often immediate danger, so it is stronger and more formal than most of these. Use danger for general writing, risk for the chance of harm, and jeopardy when something valuable could be lost. Save peril for formal, dramatic, or literary writing.
Quick Answer: Best Synonyms for Peril
What peril means in one sentence
Peril is serious danger, especially the kind that could cause injury, loss, or destruction.
Top 10 synonyms at a glance
| Synonym | Core idea | Compared with peril |
|---|---|---|
| Danger | General exposure to harm | Weaker and far more common |
| Jeopardy | Something valuable could be lost | Focuses on what is at stake |
| Hazard | A source of possible harm | A thing, not a situation |
| Risk | The chance that harm happens | About probability, not severity |
| Threat | Something that could cause harm | Points to the cause |
| Menace | A threatening person or thing | Stronger and more ominous |
| Endangerment | The act of putting something in danger | Formal and often legal |
| Precariousness | An unstable, unsafe position | Describes the state, not the harm |
| Crisis | A critical, unstable moment | Describes the event |
| Exposure | Being open to harm | Neutral and technical |
Correct: The hikers were in peril when the storm closed the trail.
Weaker choice: The hikers were in risk when the storm closed the trail. (Risk doesn’t fit this grammar. Use “at risk” or “in danger” instead.)
What Does Peril Mean?
Definition and dictionary senses
Peril is a noun with three main uses.
- Serious danger. This is the most common sense. The sailors were in peril as the waves grew. In this sense it is usually uncountable.
- Something that causes danger. This sense is usually plural. The perils of mountain climbing include avalanches and thin air.
- An insured cause of loss. In insurance, a peril is an event such as fire, theft, or flood that can damage property. The policy covers fire and wind, but not flood.
Peril as a verb
Peril can also be a verb meaning “to put in danger.” It is rare. Modern writers almost always choose endanger, imperil, or jeopardize.
The reckless merger could peril the whole company. (Possible, but imperil sounds more natural.)
Is peril formal or literary?
Yes. Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries labels peril as formal or literary, and Britannica calls it somewhat formal and literary. You will see it in news analysis, fiction, history, warnings, and speeches. In casual speech, people usually say danger or trouble.
How to Pronounce and Spell Peril
Pronunciation and syllables
Peril has two syllables: per·il. The stress falls on the first syllable. Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries gives the same IPA for British and American English: /ˈperəl/. A simple respelling is PEH-rul. Some dictionaries, such as Wiktionary, also record a variant ending in /ɪl/, so the second vowel is often weak.
Word forms: perils, perilous, imperil, periled and perilled
| Form | Part of speech | Example |
|---|---|---|
| peril | noun | Ignoring the warning put the village in peril. |
| perils | noun (plural) | The book describes the perils of arctic travel. |
| perilous | adjective | The bridge looked perilous after the flood. |
| perilously | adverb | The truck sat perilously close to the edge. |
| imperil | verb | Overfishing could imperil the whole fishery. |
| periled / perilled | verb (past) | The delay periled the rescue effort. |
Dictionaries list periled as the US spelling and perilled as the mainly British one. The same pattern applies to periling and perilling. The verb is so rare that you are unlikely to need it.
Look-alike words and common spelling errors
The spelling peril is rarely misspelled, but a few look-alikes cause trouble.
- peril / perilous: a noun and an adjective. Don’t write “a peril journey.”
- peril / petal: one letter apart. A spell-checker will not catch the swap, because both are real words.
- peril / imperil: imperil is the verb form with the prefix im-.
Where Does the Word Peril Come From?
Peril entered English from Old French and goes back to Latin periculum, meaning “danger,” “trial,” or “test.” Dictionary.com and Oxford trace the Latin to a base meaning “to try,” which is also found in experience and experiment. That link explains the older sense of a risky trial or test.
Synonyms for Peril, Grouped by Meaning
The list below has 40 entries across five groups: 17 nouns, 6 verbs, 10 adjectives, and 7 phrases. Some of them overlap slightly, so the notes show how each one differs from peril.
Words for immediate, serious danger
| Word | Nuance | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Danger | The everyday, general choice | The sign warned of danger ahead. |
| Jeopardy | Something valuable is at stake | Her scholarship was in jeopardy. |
| Endangerment | The act of causing danger; often legal | He was charged with child endangerment. |
Words for risk and exposure to harm
| Word | Nuance | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Risk | The chance of harm or loss | There is a risk of flooding in spring. |
| Hazard | A source of possible harm | Loose cables are a hazard in the studio. |
| Exposure | Being open to harm | Long exposure to loud noise damages hearing. |
| Vulnerability | A weakness that can be exploited | The audit found a vulnerability in the login system. |
| Insecurity | Lack of safety or stability | Job insecurity affected the whole team. |
Words for threats and sources of danger
| Word | Nuance | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Threat | A possible cause of harm | Invasive species are a threat to local birds. |
| Menace | A persistent, ominous danger | Drunk drivers are a menace to everyone. |
| Pitfall | A hidden difficulty or danger | The contract has several legal pitfalls. |
| Trap | A danger set or fallen into unawares | The cheap offer turned out to be a trap. |
Words for dire or critical situations
| Word | Nuance | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Crisis | A critical, unstable turning point | The bank faced a funding crisis. |
| Emergency | A sudden situation needing urgent action | Call 911 in an emergency. |
| Predicament | A difficult, hard-to-escape situation | The missed flight left us in a predicament. |
| Plight | A bad or unfortunate condition | The report highlights the plight of refugees. |
| Dire straits | An idiom for serious trouble | The farm was in dire straits after the drought. |
Verb synonyms: endanger, imperil, jeopardize
| Word | Example |
|---|---|
| Endanger | Smoking endangers your lungs. |
| Imperil | Budget cuts could imperil the program. |
| Jeopardize | One careless email can jeopardize the deal. |
| Threaten | Rising seas threaten coastal towns. |
| Expose | The leak exposed patients to risk. |
| Compromise | A weak password can compromise your account. |
Endanger is the most common and neutral of these. Imperil is slightly more formal.
Adjective synonyms: perilous, hazardous, precarious
| Word | Nuance | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Perilous | Full of peril; formal | They made a perilous crossing in winter. |
| Dangerous | The standard everyday word | The road is dangerous at night. |
| Hazardous | Used in safety and technical settings | The lab stores hazardous chemicals. |
| Precarious | Unstable and likely to fail | He held a precarious lead. |
| Risky | Involving chance of loss | Investing everything in one stock is risky. |
| Treacherous | Deceptively dangerous | Black ice made the road treacherous. |
| Parlous | Archaic or literary | The kingdom was in a parlous state. |
| Unsafe | Not safe; plain and neutral | The ladder is unsafe. |
| Vulnerable | Easily harmed | Young seedlings are vulnerable to frost. |
| Critical | At a dangerous turning point | The patient is in critical condition. |
Phrases that mean “in peril”
- In danger: The village was in danger of flooding.
- In jeopardy: Thousands of jobs are in jeopardy.
- At risk: Older buildings are at risk during earthquakes.
- In harm’s way: Firefighters put themselves in harm’s way daily.
- On thin ice: After three late reports, he was on thin ice.
- On the brink: The company was on the brink of collapse.
- Under threat: Rainforests remain under threat.
Strongest to mildest: ranking the synonyms by intensity
This is an editorial guide rather than a dictionary ranking, because intensity depends on context.
- Strongest: peril, mortal danger, menace, crisis
- Strong: danger, jeopardy, threat, perilous
- Moderate: hazard, endanger, precarious, treacherous
- Mildest: risk, exposure, unsafe, pitfall
Peril vs Danger, Risk, Hazard and Threat
Peril vs danger
Danger is the general word. Peril is stronger, more formal, and suggests serious or imminent harm. They are often interchangeable, but swapping peril into casual speech sounds dramatic.
- Danger: There is some danger of rain this weekend.
- Peril: The stranded climbers were in peril.
Peril vs risk
Risk is the chance that harm will happen. Peril is the danger itself. You can calculate a risk, but you face a peril.
- Risk: The risk of delay is low.
- Peril: The delay put the patients in peril.
Peril vs hazard
A hazard is a source of possible harm, such as a wet floor. A peril is the serious danger that may result. In everyday English the two sometimes overlap, but a hazard is a thing and a peril is a state or event.
Peril vs hazard in insurance
Insurance uses these words precisely.
- A peril is the cause of a loss: fire, theft, flood.
- A hazard is a condition that makes a loss more likely or more severe: oily rags near a heater.
- A risk is the possibility of loss.
The fire is the peril; the faulty wiring is the hazard. Policies may be “named peril” (they cover only listed events) or “open peril” (they cover everything not excluded).
Peril vs jeopardy and threat
Jeopardy centers on what could be lost: her career was in jeopardy. A threat centers on the cause of harm: the storm is a threat to the harvest. Peril describes the dangerous situation itself.
Choosing the Right Synonym by Context
Fiction and literary writing
Use peril, perilous, menace, and treacherous to build tension. Parlous suits historical or archaic styles.
News and journalism
Danger, threat, crisis, and at risk are clear and widely understood. Peril appears in headlines for dramatic emphasis.
Business and finance
Prefer risk, exposure, vulnerability, and jeopardize. Peril sounds overdramatic here, except in insurance.
Academic and formal writing
Peril, hazard, imperil, and endangerment all work. Define technical terms the first time you use them.
Everyday speech
Stick with danger, unsafe, at risk, and trouble. Most people would find “we are in peril” theatrical.
Peril in Sentences: Examples for Each Meaning
Peril as a noun
- Heavy snow left the drivers in peril.
- Scientists warn that the species faces peril from habitat loss.
- She never forgot the peril of that night on the river.
“In peril” and “the perils of”
- Without funding, the museum’s collection is in peril.
- The workshop covers the perils of sharing passwords.
- Critics described the perils of rapid expansion.
Peril as a verb
- A single mistake could peril the entire mission.
- The leak periled the town’s water supply.
Phrases and Idioms With Peril
At your peril
At your peril is a warning meaning you may suffer serious consequences if you do something. Ignore the safety rules at your peril. A close variant is “at your own peril.” The phrase is a warning, so use it when the consequences really could be bad.
Mortal peril and grave peril
Mortal peril means danger of death. Grave peril means serious danger. Both are intense collocations: The crew was in mortal peril when the engine failed.
A note on “yellow peril”
“Yellow peril” appears in dictionaries as a derived term, but it is a dated, offensive racial phrase. Avoid it outside discussions of history.
Antonyms of Peril: Words for Safety and Security
The standard opposite of peril is safety. Other antonyms are:
- Security: The new locks gave residents a sense of security.
- Protection: Helmets offer protection in a crash.
- Safeguard: The law is a safeguard against fraud.
- Shelter: The cabin offered shelter from the storm.
- Immunity: Vaccines build immunity to the disease.
- Defense: Strong walls were the town’s best defense.
Risk, hazard, and menace are synonyms, not antonyms.
Common Mistakes With Peril
Confusing peril with perilous
Incorrect: The mountain path was peril.
Correct: The mountain path was perilous.
Why: Peril is a noun; perilous is the adjective.
Using peril where danger or risk sounds more natural
Incorrect: There’s a peril of rain this afternoon.
Correct: There’s a risk of rain this afternoon.
Why: Peril signals serious danger. Light weather chances call for risk or chance.
Overusing formal synonyms
Weak: The employee faced menace and peril when the printer jammed.
Better: The employee faced a frustrating printer jam.
Why: Strong words in trivial situations sound unintentionally comic.
Easy Ways to Remember Peril and Its Synonyms
These are learning aids, not official rules.
- Sound trick: Link peril to peril-ous. If the word ends in -ous, it describes something full of danger.
- Intensity ladder: Picture risk → danger → peril. Each step is more severe and more formal.
- Insurance anchor: “Peril is the fire; the hazard is the oily rag.”
Practice: Test Your Knowledge of Peril Synonyms
Fill-in-the-blank exercises
- The expedition was in grave ________ when supplies ran low.
a) peril b) petal c) perilous - Insurers call a fire a ________ and faulty wiring a hazard.
a) risk b) peril c) menace - The cliff path was too ________ to cross in the dark.
a) perilous b) peril c) perils
Replace-the-word exercises
- Replace peril with a more common word: “The villagers were in peril.” (Use a general synonym.)
- Replace the verb peril with a more natural one: “Careless spending could peril the project.”
Correct-the-sentence and choose-the-word exercises
- Correct the sentence: “The old bridge is a peril structure.”
- Choose the best word: “There is a small ________ of delay.” (a: peril / b: risk / c: menace)
- Identify the part of speech of perilous in “a perilous climb.”
Answer key
- a) peril. Grave peril is a standard collocation.
- b) peril. In insurance, the event causing loss is the peril.
- a) perilous. An adjective is needed before “to cross.”
- Danger. “The villagers were in danger.”
- Endanger or jeopardize. Both are more natural than the verb peril.
- “The old bridge is a perilous structure.” The adjective is perilous.
- b) risk. A small chance of delay is a risk, not a peril.
- Adjective. It describes the noun climb.
Frequently Asked Questions About Peril and Its Synonyms
What is the best synonym for peril?
Danger is the best all-purpose synonym. It is common and neutral. For a stronger or more formal tone, try jeopardy, menace, or grave danger.
What is the difference between peril and danger?
Peril is a stronger, more formal word for serious, often immediate danger. Danger is general and can describe minor or major situations. They overlap, but peril sounds more dramatic.
What is the difference between peril and risk?
Risk is the chance that harm will occur. Peril is the harmful situation itself. You can say a plan carries a risk, but you say people are in peril.
What is the difference between peril and hazard?
A hazard is a source of potential harm, such as a slippery floor. A peril is serious danger or, in insurance, the event causing a loss. A hazard can increase the chance of a peril.
Is peril the same as perilous?
No. Peril is a noun, and perilous is an adjective. Say “in peril” or “a perilous journey,” not “a peril journey.”
Can peril be used as a verb?
Yes, but it is rare. It means “to put in danger.” Most writers prefer endanger, imperil, or jeopardize.
Is peril a formal or literary word?
Yes. Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries labels it formal or literary. It suits fiction, serious reporting, and formal writing more than casual conversation.
What does “at your peril” mean?
It means you may suffer serious consequences if you do something. It is a warning, as in “Ignore the evacuation order at your peril.”
What does peril mean in insurance?
In insurance, a peril is an event that causes loss, such as fire, theft, or flood. A hazard is a condition that raises the chance of such a loss.
What is the opposite of peril?
The usual opposite is safety. Security, protection, and safeguard also work as antonyms.
How do you pronounce peril?
Peril is pronounced PEH-rul (/ˈperəl/), with stress on the first syllable. Oxford gives the same transcription for British and American English.
Is it periled or perilled?
Periled is the US spelling and perilled is the mainly British one. The verb is rare, so most writers use endangered instead.
What is the strongest synonym for peril?
Phrases like mortal danger and words like menace are among the strongest. Intensity depends on context, so choose the word that fits the situation rather than the loudest one.
Choosing the Right Word for Danger
The best synonyms for peril are danger, jeopardy, hazard, risk, and threat, and each has its own job. Peril is serious and formal. Risk is the chance of harm, and a hazard is its source. A quick memory cue: if you can calculate it, it is a risk; if it demands urgent action, it is a peril.
