peril

[per-uh l] /ˈpɛr əl/
noun
1.
exposure to injury, loss, or destruction; grave risk; jeopardy; danger:
They faced the peril of falling rocks.
2.
something that causes or may cause injury, loss, or destruction.
verb (used with object), periled, periling or (especially British) perilled, perilling.
3.
to expose to danger; imperil; risk.
Origin
1175-1225; Middle English < Old French < Latin perīculum trial, test, danger, equivalent to perī-, verb base meaning “try” (found in the compound experīrī; see experience) + -culum -cle2
Related forms
perilless, adjective
multiperil, adjective, noun
Synonyms
1. See danger.
Examples from the web for peril
  • But the vanishing reefs could face peril if we fail to sustain them.
  • Sports fans ignore her diagnoses at their peril — reconfiguring your imaginary lineup based on her instincts can really pay off.
  • Any life that was present or developing on Earth at the time would have been in constant peril of being blasted out of existence.
  • There is aloofness, a divide, between those in power and those in peril.
  • One area that holds out both undeniable peril and extraordinary promise is energy.
  • So stall at your own peril.
  • Ignore it at your own peril.
  • But at the end of the day, we forget at our peril the obvious: these guys are really, really smart.
  • We begin to see that it's at their own peril that designers disregard critiques.
  • The psychologists wanted to explore more directly this link between psychological distance and real peril.
British Dictionary definitions for peril

peril

/ˈpɛrɪl/
noun
1.
exposure to risk or harm; danger or jeopardy
Word Origin
C13: via Old French from Latin perīculum
Word Origin and History for peril
n.

c.1200, from Old French peril "danger, risk" (10c.), from Latin periculum "an attempt, trial, experiment; risk, danger," with instrumentive suffix -culum and element also found in experiri "to try," cognate with Greek peria "trial, attempt, experience," empeiros "experienced," Old Irish aire "vigilance," Gothic ferja "watcher," Old English fær "danger, fear" (see fear (n.)).