imperil

verb

im·​per·​il im-ˈper-əl 

-ˈpe-rəl

imperiled or imperilled; imperiling or imperilling

transitive verb

: to bring into peril : endanger

a reckless act that imperiled us all

a list of imperiled species

imperilment

im-ˈper-əl-mənt 

-ˈpe-rəl-

noun

Synonyms of imperil

• endanger
• threaten

Examples of imperil in a Sentence

The toxic fumes imperiled the lives of the trapped miners.

The financial health of the company was imperiled by a string of bad investments.

a list of imperiled species

Recent Examples on the Web

Such damage to the task force threatens to imperil access to lifesaving preventive services for millions of Americans. —Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 22 May 2026

Aggressive companies affiliated with private equity firms and asset managers have been snapping up insurers and, in some cases, engaging in highly complex deals that can imperil policyholders. —Gretchen Morgenson, NBC news, 20 May 2026

His new stance imperils Americans and emboldens China, which makes a future crisis likelier than ever. —Thomas Wright, The Atlantic, 18 May 2026

Then broader structural changes and urbanization imperiled them even more. —Daryl Austin, USA Today, 18 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English inperiled, from in- in- entry 2 + peril peril entry 1 + -ed -ed entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for imperil

• carbaryl
• glyceryl
• beryl
• feral
• karel
• peril
• seral
• sterile
• sterol
• foraminiferal
• tocopherol

Kids Definition

imperil

verb

im·​per·​il im-ˈper-əl 

imperiled or imperilled; imperiling or imperilling

: to place in great danger : endanger

imperilment

-əl-mənt 

noun