perilous
Very dangerous.
perilous in a sentence
- The perilous mountain path was icy, narrow and crumbling at the edges.
- The pirates faced a perilous voyage past sharp rocks and roaring waves.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to perilous?
- Aharmless
- Bsecure
- Csafe
- Ddangerous
Show the answer
D: dangerous. The other three mean the opposite of perilous.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to perilous?
- Ahazardous
- Bsafe
- Cdangerous
- Drisky
Show the answer
B: safe. The other three mean nearly the same as perilous.
Words that mean something similar
dangerous, risky, hazardous
Words that mean the opposite
safe, secure, harmless
More words about places & settings
- picturesque: Pretty enough to be in a painting or on a postcard.
- precarious: Not safe or steady, and likely to fall or fail at any moment.
- quaint: Charming in an old-fashioned way.
- ravine: A deep, narrow valley with steep sides.
- reek: To smell very strongly and unpleasantly.
- refuge: A safe place to shelter from danger.
- remote: Far away from towns and hard to reach.
- reside: To live in a particular place.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test