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.
険難な崖を前にして、一行は立ちすくんだ。
Facing the precipitous cliff, the party stood frozen.
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.