Synonyms

imperil

American

[im-per-uhl] / ɪmˈpɛr əl /

verb (used with object)

imperiled, imperiling, imperilled, imperilling

to put in peril or danger; endanger.

Synonyms:

chance, hazard, jeopardize, risk

imperil British

/ ɪmˈpɛrɪl /

verb

(tr) to place in danger or jeopardy; endanger

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

imperilment noun

Etymology

Origin of imperil

First recorded in 1590–1600; im- ¹ + peril

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.

Ms. Khan’s goal was to delay mergers, which could imperil the financing for some.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

Microsoft on Tuesday warned a judge that the Pentagon blacklisting of Anthropic could hamper US warfighters and imperil the country's drive to lead in artificial intelligence.

From Barron's • Mar. 11, 2026

In India, gas-intensive companies such as fertilizer producers might be forced to throttle back production, which could imperil crop yields in a country that still suffers from malnutrition.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 8, 2026

Providers told The Times that the funding freeze could imperil child-care centers, many of which operate on slim margins.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 9, 2026

Altogether it is thought–though it is really only a guess, based on extrapolating from cratering rates on the Moon–that some two thousand asteroids big enough to imperil civilized existence regularly cross our orbit.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023