imperil

verb

im·​per·​il im-ˈper-əl 

-ˈpe-rəl

imperiled or imperilled; imperiling or imperilling

transitive verb

: to bring into peril : endanger

imperilment

im-ˈper-əl-mənt 

-ˈpe-rəl-

noun

Synonyms

• adventure
• compromise
• endanger
• gamble (with)
• hazard
• jeopard
• jeopardize
• menace
• peril
• risk
• venture

Examples of imperil in a Sentence

The toxic fumes imperiled the lives of the trapped miners.

The financial health of the company was imperiled by a string of bad investments.

a list of imperiled species

Recent Examples on the Web

This has had a detrimental effect on wild bird populations, some of which — including the western sandpiper — are now imperiled. —Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2024

And yet the same fractures that potentially drive political violence can imperil the collaboration needed to address public-health crises. —Michael Luo, The New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2024

But should lava overrun one of these walls, or a fissure unzip the crust in a populated area, people’s lives would be directly imperiled. —Robin George Andrews, The Atlantic, 26 Sep. 2024

But this is the kind of activity the city now says has been imperiled. —Rachel Clarke, CNN, 23 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English inperiled, from in- in- entry 2 + peril peril entry 1 + -ed -ed entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

imperil

verb

im·​per·​il im-ˈper-əl 

imperiled or imperilled; imperiling or imperilling

: to place in great danger : endanger

imperilment

-əl-mənt 

noun