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

The last-minute impasse imperiled the likelihood of a swift end to the DHS shutdown, which has upended airport security across the country. —Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026

The conflict is imperiling the supply chain for petrochemicals, which are derived from fossil fuels and serve as the building blocks for plastics, an expert told Bloomberg’s Odd Lots podcast. —J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 25 Mar. 2026

Trump’s desire to bundle the bills and amendments together also risks imperiling the appropriations legislation. —Zach Lachance, The Washington Examiner, 23 Mar. 2026

Related Stories After a splashy debut at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, where the company acquired four movies, Row K’s slate looks imperiled. —Matt Donnelly, Variety, 20 Mar. 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
• cholesteryl
• sitosterol
• 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