steep and dangerous; precipitous and perilous
Literary word describing terrain that is both steep and hazardous. Rare in modern conversation; mostly found in older or formal writing.
The mountain path was extremely steep and dangerous.
Facing the precipitous cliff, the party stood frozen.
General word for 'danger'; 険難 specifically combines steepness with peril, and is not used for non-physical danger.
Rare kanji spelling; the word itself is uncommon and literary.
Variant kanji form; even rarer than 険難.
Compound of 険 (steep, rugged) and 難 (difficulty, danger). The exact historical derivation is uncertain; it is a literary Sino-Japanese word.