jeopardize

American  

[jep-er-dahyz] / ˈdʒɛp ərˌdaɪz /

especially British, jeopardise

verb (used with object)

jeopardizes, present (3rd person singular) jeopardized, past participle, past jeopardizing present participle

1. to put in jeopardy; hazard; risk; imperil.

   He jeopardized his life every time he dived from the tower.

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jeopardize British  

/ ˈdʒɛpəˌdaɪz /

verb

1. to risk; hazard

   he jeopardized his job by being persistently unpunctual

2. to put in danger; imperil

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• rejeopardize
  verb (used with object)
• unjeopardized
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• jeopardizing
  present
• jeopardized
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• jeopardize
  simple
• jeopardizes
  simple
• have jeopardized
  perfect
• has jeopardized
  perfect
• am jeopardizing
  progressive
• are jeopardizing
  progressive
• is jeopardizing
  progressive
• have been jeopardizing
  perfect progressive
• has been jeopardizing
  perfect progressive

Past

• jeopardized
  simple
• had jeopardized
  perfect
• was jeopardizing
  progressive
• were jeopardizing
  progressive
• had been jeopardizing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will jeopardize
  simple
• will have jeopardized
  perfect
• will be jeopardizing
  progressive
• will have been jeopardizing
  perfect progressive

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

jeopardize jeopardizes jeopardized jeopardizing

The pipeline and oil fields themselves are undamaged, but a prolonged cut to production would jeopardize the company’s substantial cash flow from the region.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026

Higher rates can trigger default waves that might jeopardize more lenders.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 5, 2026

The union also made their initial bargaining proposal last week, the start of a long process that could jeopardize the 2027 season.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2026

Moody’s believes a powerful enough quantum computer could jeopardize the entire digital financial infrastructure.

From Barron's ● May 22, 2026

“He knows enough not to do anything to jeopardize his being a student here. You got here because of your brains. Drew is here because I made it happen.”

From "Here to Stay" by Sara Farizan

“It threatens the livelihoods of the people who live and work here, undermines the region’s fragile ecosystems, and jeopardizes the long-term health of our state’s water infrastructure.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 15, 2025

As the nonprofit’s executive director, Aimee Huber, has pointed out, the subpoena is a threat to its First Amendment freedoms and jeopardizes its “ability to carry out its religious mission.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 1, 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

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

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

“Their actions have resulted in significant losses to Levon Helm Studios and jeopardized its ability to continue operating.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 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

It was a bit of a shock, then, when Fang jeopardized our fragile flight pattern by leaning forward and slapping a picture against my left cheek.

From "Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet" by Joanne Proulx

Here’s how to do it without jeopardizing your job.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026

But with water costs rising and climate change jeopardizing these distant sources, there is growing interest in finding ways to get more water locally.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 25, 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

A workers’ strike could cut off food supplies, jeopardizing the war effort.

From "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" by Claire Hartfield

Related Words

• imperil
• threaten