imperil

[im-per-uh l]

See more synonyms for imperil on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), im·per·iled, im·per·il·ing or (especially British) im·per·illed, im·per·il·ling.

to put in peril or danger; endanger.

Origin of imperil

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

Related formsim·per·il·ment, noun

Synonyms

See more synonyms for imperil on Thesaurus.com

risk, jeopardize, hazard, chance.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for imperiled

Contemporary Examples

Despite the financial remedy, partial repeal of the screen quota has imperiled the domestic market.
Propaganda, Protest, and Poisonous Vipers: The Cinema War in Korea
Rich Goldstein
December 30, 2014
He often files amicus briefs, especially in cases where constitutionally guaranteed rights are imperiled.
My Reverse-Cyrano Moment Wooing the Supreme Court
P. J. O’Rourke
March 30, 2014
Imperiled as he is, he cannot recreate the tooth-and-nail desperation that fueled Shackleton.
Polar Explorer vs. Reality TV Crew: Tim Jarvis in the Footsteps of Shackleton
Darrell Hartman
January 12, 2014
We learn what we already knew, that man is disposable matter, an imperiled creature of flesh and blood.
The Catch in “Catch-22”
Morris Dickstein
September 4, 2011
The student warns Zonker that the celebration is imperiled because "President Roth thinks you're bad for Wesleyan's image."
Doonesbury Mocks Wesleyan President
Barbara Spindel
December 7, 2010

Historical Examples

Yet the promise of this life is imperiled by the very genius that has made it possible.
United States Presidents' Inaugural Speeches
Various
A moment they sped side by side, toward the imperiled cruiser.
The Cruise of the Dry Dock
T. S. Stribling
The crying need of an imperiled republic could not reprieve him.
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Volume 1, No. 3, August, 1850.
Various
Quick as thought Frank Merriwell sprang to save the imperiled girl.
Frank Merriwell's Cruise
Burt L. Standish
And then suddenly came a wild cheer from the imperiled Americans.
A Prisoner of Morro
Upton Sinclair

British Dictionary definitions for imperiled

imperil

verb -rils, -rilling or -rilled or US -rils, -riling or -riled

(tr) to place in danger or jeopardy; endanger

Derived Formsimperilment, noun

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

Word Origin and History for imperiled

imperil

v.

1590s, from assimilated form of in- "into, in" (see in- (2)) + peril. Related: Imperiled; imperiling.

imperil

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}imperil

Synonyms

Examples from the Web for imperiled

Contemporary Examples

Despite the financial remedy, partial repeal of the screen quota has imperiled the domestic market.

He often files amicus briefs, especially in cases where constitutionally guaranteed rights are imperiled.

Imperiled as he is, he cannot recreate the tooth-and-nail desperation that fueled Shackleton.

We learn what we already knew, that man is disposable matter, an imperiled creature of flesh and blood.

The student warns Zonker that the celebration is imperiled because "President Roth thinks you're bad for Wesleyan's image."

Historical Examples

Yet the promise of this life is imperiled by the very genius that has made it possible.

A moment they sped side by side, toward the imperiled cruiser.

The crying need of an imperiled republic could not reprieve him.

Quick as thought Frank Merriwell sprang to save the imperiled girl.

And then suddenly came a wild cheer from the imperiled Americans.

imperil

Word Origin and History for imperiled

imperil

v.

Origin of imperil