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
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am jeopardizingprogressive
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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
100 SAT Words Beginning with "J," "K," and "L"
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The Last Olympian
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This Week In Words: May 3–9, 2020
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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:
Drug companies that price their medicines consistently below the threshold could ensure patients have unfettered access to their drugs, meaning no prior authorization, while those that price above that threshold would jeopardize their patent protection.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 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
No one likes to criticize people who have power over them, especially if they think it could jeopardize their next promotion or bonus.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026
Powell said political interference could damage the Fed’s standing and erode the public’s trust and jeopardize the central bank’s mission to ensure price stability and maximum employment.
From Barron's ● Jun. 1, 2026
“This is not helpful—you going round there, lying to him, provoking him. We’re in the middle of a murder investigation here. You need to understand that. You could jeopardize our progress, you could—” “What progress?”
From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins
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
The administration’s plan also doesn’t prioritize new scientific projects, Bell said, which further jeopardizes long-term job stability and space discovery at centers like JPL.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 19, 2026
“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
Any lapse or reduction in federal funding for HIV programming jeopardizes our progress in addressing HIV, and transfers the burden of HIV prevention, care and treatment to overwhelmed state governments.
From Salon ● Feb. 28, 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
Crowley, her attorneys say, revealed to the public that “budget cuts had weakened the department’s readiness and jeopardized public and firefighter safety.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 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
If Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ultimately rules in favor of Musk, OpenAI's IPO could be jeopardized.
From Barron's ● May 4, 2026
“His actions alone have jeopardized the commutes of over 100,000 New Yorkers and the jobs of thousands of union workers, but New York will not back down,” she said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 17, 2026
Needless to say, the results of all this work are now jeopardized as the enemies of the corn borer are killed off by the sprays.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
Here’s how to do it without jeopardizing your job.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
Iran threatened to reimpose a blockade on Wednesday, jeopardizing 20% of global oil and LNG shipments and economic recovery.
From Barron's ● Apr. 8, 2026
The committee’s authority is limited to very uncommon circumstances in which there are no “reasonable and prudent alternatives” that would avoid jeopardizing a listed species or impair a species’ critical habitat.
From Salon ● Apr. 7, 2026
Meanwhile, they are working to find ways to connect data centers to the grid sooner without jeopardizing the reliability of the system.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 6, 2026
Unselfishly jeopardizing her professional reputation as a teacher, Aunt Anne always allowed each of us to play in the annual recitals at her music school.
From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
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.
