PERILOUS Synonyms: 66 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'perilous' distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of perilous are dangerous , hazardous , precarious , and risky . While all these words mean "bringing or involving the chance of loss or injury," perilous strongly implies the immediacy of danger. // perilous mountain roads

Q: When might 'dangerous' be a better fit than 'perilous'?

The words dangerous and perilous are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, dangerous applies to something that may cause harm or loss unless dealt with carefully. // soldiers on a dangerous mission

Q: When is it sensible to use 'hazardous' instead of 'perilous'?

The synonyms hazardous and perilous are sometimes interchangeable, but hazardous implies great and continuous risk of harm or failure. // claims that smoking is hazardous to your health

Q: When can 'precarious' be used instead of 'perilous'?

While in some cases nearly identical to perilous , precarious suggests both insecurity and uncertainty. // earned a precarious living by gambling

Q: When would 'risky' be a good substitute for 'perilous'?

In some situations, the words risky and perilous are roughly equivalent. However, risky often applies to a known and accepted danger. // shied away from risky investments

perilous

adjective

ˈper-ə-ləs

Definition of perilous next

as in dangerous

involving potential loss or injury a perilous journey through hostile territory

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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How is the word perilous distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of perilous are dangerous, hazardous, precarious, and risky. While all these words mean "bringing or involving the chance of loss or injury," perilous strongly implies the immediacy of danger.

perilous mountain roads

When might dangerous be a better fit than perilous?

The words dangerous and perilous are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, dangerous applies to something that may cause harm or loss unless dealt with carefully.

soldiers on a dangerous mission

When is it sensible to use hazardous instead of perilous?

The synonyms hazardous and perilous are sometimes interchangeable, but hazardous implies great and continuous risk of harm or failure.

claims that smoking is hazardous to your health

When can precarious be used instead of perilous?

While in some cases nearly identical to perilous, precarious suggests both insecurity and uncertainty.

earned a precarious living by gambling

When would risky be a good substitute for perilous?

In some situations, the words risky and perilous are roughly equivalent. However, risky often applies to a known and accepted danger.

shied away from risky investments

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of perilous Every week, the series takes you and your kids on a new adventure: from a sunny beach town that’s suddenly inundated with snow to a perilous journey to see the Northern Lights to an experiment with Gigantification fluid that transforms a babysitter into a giant Pumpkin Spice latte. —

Spenser Mestel, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Dec. 2024 Grease, makeup, sauce, mud, or coffee can prove perilous for your clothing. —

Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 28 Nov. 2024 The work in Afghanistan, where Bishop was in charge of the DEA base in Kabul, proved perilous. —

Kyle Newman, The Denver Post, 17 Nov. 2024 Unilateral action is both perilous and economically unsustainable. —

Andrew Leahey, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for perilous

Recent Examples of Synonyms for perilous

Adjective

The Women by Kristin Hannah (St. Martin’s Press: $30) An intimate portrait of coming of age in a dangerous time.

The California Independent Booksellers Alliance, Los Angeles Times, 25 Dec. 2024
The night was a downhill slope, a movement in woeful reverse, a tidal pull back into the tumult and dangerous madness of what must now be called the era of Trump.

Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 25 Dec. 2024