perilous
Full of risk
Perilous means full of danger or risk.
A perilous journey threatens harm at every turn.
A perilous situation could easily end badly.
The word carries a slightly literary or dramatic flavor—you're more likely to encounter it in adventure stories than casual conversation.
The climbers faced perilous conditions on the mountain.
Likely to cause injury
- treacherousDisloyal and dangerous
- deadlyAble to cause expiration
- lethalCausing or capable of death
- fatalCausing death or ruin
menacing · life-threatening · dire · grave · ominous · foreboding · threatening · unsafe
Involving possible harm
- unpredictableCannot be anticipated
- chancyInvolving uncertain outcome
- diceyUncertain and hazardous
- iffyUncertain, questionable
touch-and-go · speculative · volatile · high-stakes · gamble · venturesome · dubious · unsure
Prone to sudden change
- teeteringUnstably balanced, nearly falling
- wobblyTending to teeter
- shakyTrembling or unstable
- unsteadyLacking balance or stability
tottering · rickety · insecure · vulnerable · fragile · delicate · tenuous · brittle
Risky exciting undertaking
- daringAdventurous courage
- audaciousRecklessly or disrespectfully fearless
- boldCourageous and daring
- intrepidResolutely without fear
valiant · courageous · heroic · swashbuckling · epic · legendary · quest · expedition
hazardous
Likely to cause injury
- treacherousDisloyal and dangerous
- deadlyAble to cause expiration
- lethalCausing or capable of death
fatal · menacing · life-threatening · dire · grave · ominous · foreboding · threatening · unsafe · harmful
risky
Involving possible harm
- unpredictableCannot be anticipated
- chancyInvolving uncertain outcome
- diceyUncertain and hazardous
iffy · touch-and-go · speculative · volatile · high-stakes · gamble · venturesome · dubious · unsure · precarious
unstable
Prone to sudden change
unsteady · tottering · rickety · insecure · vulnerable · fragile · delicate · tenuous · brittle · flimsy
adventure
Risky exciting undertaking
intrepid · valiant · courageous · heroic · swashbuckling · epic · legendary · quest · expedition · odyssey
- Danger Levelsdanger, high risk, high-risk, low risk, critical
- fairytale adjectivesmagical, enchanted, wicked, cursed, charming
- Precariousnessprecarious, unstable, teetering, tottering, wobbly
- risk levelshigh risk, low risk, moderate risk, extreme risk, minimal risk
periloussafe
Free from peril
secure · harmless · nonthreatening · unthreatening · nonhazardous
perilousbeneficial
Producing good results
advantageous · favorable · propitious · salutary · good
- perilous journeyRisky extended travel
- perilous escapeDangerous flight from threat