jeopardy
Americannoun
-
hazard or risk of or exposure to loss, harm, death, or injury.
For a moment his life was in jeopardy.
- Antonyms:
- security
-
peril or danger.
The spy was in constant jeopardy of being discovered.
- Antonyms:
- security
-
Law. the danger or hazard of being found guilty, and of consequent punishment, undergone by criminal defendants on trial.
noun
-
danger of injury, loss, death, etc; risk; peril; hazard
his health was in jeopardy
-
law danger of being convicted and punished for a criminal offence See also double jeopardy
Synonym Usage
See danger.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of jeopardy
1200–50; Middle English j ( e ) uparti, joupardi ( e ), j ( e ) upardi ( e ) < Anglo-French, Old French: literally, divided game or play, hence, uncertain chance, problem (in chess or love), equivalent to j ( e ) u play, game (< Latin jocus joke ) + parti, past participle of partir to divide; see party
Explanation
To be in jeopardy is to be in danger. Eating three plates of nachos a day may improve your chances of winning your office's nacho-eating contest; unfortunately, it could also put your health in jeopardy. Jeopardy is a state of being, so this word is almost always preceded by the preposition "in." The phrase "in jeopardy" is just one of several ways to convey that someone is in trouble. You can also try "at risk," "in danger," or — if you're into idioms — "on thin ice," "out on a limb," or "up the creek without a paddle."
Vocabulary lists containing jeopardy
The Bill of Rights
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Now he makes jokes about competitors’ market caps and has audience members participate in Corporate Jeopardy, with answers like “What is circle back?”
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026
The Broome County Health Department director lost to Cleveland food sales representative Ian Taylor, coming in second after falling short by $1 in Final Jeopardy.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 7, 2024
The Golden Knights added some star touches with recording artist Shania Twain cranking the horn before the game and James Holzhauer of Jeopardy fame doing it before the third.
From Seattle Times • May 3, 2024
Actress Emma Stone recently shared with Variety's Awards Circuit Podcast that she desperately wants to be a contestant on the non-celebrity edition of the game show, "Jeopardy!"
From Salon • Jan. 12, 2024
At the far end of the room, a few patients clustered around a TV and Jeopardy!
From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
