Perilous

Pronunciation: /ˈperələs/

Definitions of perilous

adjective describing something that is full of danger or risk

Example Sentences

A1 Walking on a tightrope is a perilous activity.

A2 The hikers faced a perilous journey through the treacherous mountains.

B1 The storm made driving conditions perilous on the highway.

B2 The detective found himself in a perilous situation when he was trapped in the abandoned building.

C1 The astronauts embarked on a perilous mission to explore the unknown galaxy.

C2 The mountaineer faced the most perilous climb of his career as he attempted to summit the world's highest peak.

Examples of perilous in a Sentence

formal The hikers faced a perilous journey through the treacherous mountain pass.

informal That shortcut through the woods is pretty perilous, be careful!

slang Dude, that cliff jump is way too perilous, don't do it!

figurative Navigating the world of politics can be a perilous endeavor.

Grammatical Forms of perilous

• past tense: periled
• plural: perilous
• comparative: more perilous
• superlative: most perilous
• present tense: peril
• future tense: will peril
• perfect tense: have periled
• continuous tense: is periling
• singular: perilous
• positive degree: perilous
• infinitive: to peril
• gerund: periling
• participle: periled

Origin and Evolution of perilous

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Old French/Latin

Story behind the word: The word 'perilous' originated from the Old French word 'perilleus' which was derived from the Latin word 'periculosus' meaning full of danger.

Evolution of the word: Over time, 'perilous' has retained its meaning of full of danger or risk, but has also come to be used more broadly to describe anything that involves great risk or potential harm.