Serious and immediate danger. It often suggests a risk that could lead to harm or loss.
From Old French “peril,” from Latin “periculum” meaning “trial, danger, risk.” In Latin it was tied to the idea of testing or trying something, which always carries risk.
Peril is danger with drama—it sounds like something out of an adventure story. The phrase “do so at your own peril” is basically a warning label saying, “You’ve been told; now the risk is yours.”
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