jeopardize
Americanverb (used with object)
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jeopardizes,
present (3rd person singular)
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jeopardized,
past participle, past
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jeopardizing
present participle
verb
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to risk; hazard
he jeopardized his job by being persistently unpunctual
-
to put in danger; imperil
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
jeopardizesimple
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jeopardizessimple
-
have jeopardizedperfect
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has jeopardizedperfect
-
am jeopardizingprogressive
-
are jeopardizingprogressive
-
is jeopardizingprogressive
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have been jeopardizingperfect progressive
-
has been jeopardizingperfect progressive
Past
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jeopardizedsimple
-
had jeopardizedperfect
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was jeopardizingprogressive
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were jeopardizingprogressive
-
had been jeopardizingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of jeopardize
First recorded in 1640–50; jeopard(y) + -ize
Explanation
Jeopardize means to put at risk or pose a threat. Jeopardize your career by posting silly pictures of yourself on Facebook. Jeopardize your friendships by posting silly pictures of your friends on Facebook. Jeopardize stems from the Old French jeu parti, which literally translates to a game with divided, or even, chances. An even chance of winning hardly seems a risky endeavor, but maybe our forefathers weren't big risk-takers. Whatever the reason, jeopardize has come to mean the act of putting yourself or something at risk, through circumstance or behavior. Think of double-jeopardy on the gameshow "Jeopardy" and you'll better understand what it means to jeopardize your savings.
Vocabulary lists containing jeopardize
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The Last Olympian
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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.
See Examples For:
In that case, Kelley worried, even his “Take Me Instead” letter — in which he asked his senator to arrange for him to trade places with Jackson — might jeopardize his son’s naval career.
From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026
A yen recovery will require an aggressive hiking cycle, but the central bank is unlikely to jeopardize growth in such a manner, he says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
“This has more red flags than a May Day parade,” an industry insider said, speaking on condition of anonymity so as not to jeopardize his professional relationships.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
‘He’s never been good with money’: If I set up an annuity for my brother, 65, would it jeopardize his Supplemental Security Income?
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026
It’s a soft job for him, running little errands, doing little favors, and there’s no way he’d want to jeopardize it.
From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
Apple and Google executives told Canadian lawmakers the bill jeopardizes privacy and digital security, potentially compelling product changes for surveillance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 27, 2026
“This is an issue that jeopardizes the reliability, resilience and public safety of our communications infrastructure.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 29, 2025
While no immigration-related arrests have been reported at county health facilities, “the mere threat of immigration enforcement near any medical facility undermines public trust and jeopardizes community health,” the department said in a statement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 20, 2025
“These are our anchors. This is our cultural heritage. Eliminating this funding jeopardizes the ability of communities to preserve their history,” Stein said.
From Slate ● Apr. 10, 2025
We ought never excuse violence or tolerate behavior that jeopardizes the safety and security of others.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
The government injected billions into banks, insurance giant AIG and the automobile industry to prevent the collapse of individual companies that would have jeopardized the economy and the financial system writ large if they failed.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026
In written testimony submitted to the court, a programs officer with HUD said that fully-executed contracts and the committed funds would not be jeopardized by LAHSA’s suspension.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
"Do not approach the Strait of Hormuz; otherwise, your security will be jeopardized," Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said.
From BBC ● Jun. 20, 2026
S. relations and jeopardized Adani’s investment in the U.S., and that they exceeded the reach of U.S. laws, according to records reviewed by the Journal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026
They might’ve jeopardized their own lives to save someone who had no chance in the first place.
From "The Kill Order (Maze Runner, Book Four; Origin)" by James Dashner
But so many back-to-back ignitions are jeopardizing the ecosystem’s long-term viability — and making it even more fire-prone as invasive plants squeeze out native species.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
But so many back-to-back ignitions are jeopardizing the ecosystem’s long-term viability.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
The banking industry’s advocates argued that arrangements like Coinbase’s could lead to a massive deposit flight, jeopardizing their ability to lend and keep the economy humming.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
Local politicians are scrambling to calm the backlash from residents—without jeopardizing the revenue that is the lifeblood of the economy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026
The country was in peril; he was jeopardizing his traditional rights of freedom and independence by daring to exercise them.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
