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

But that institutional exceptionalism is now imperiled as never before. — Alec MacGillis, ProPublica, 24 Sep. 2026

In a midterm election year, Collins has openly worried that the administration’s increasingly unpopular trade policies could imperil Republicans running for reelection. — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 24 Sep. 2026

All three museums have major exhibitions opening in early October; whether these are imperiled remains to be seen. — News Desk, Artforum, 16 Sep. 2026

Since the war began, the United States and Europe have expected its mounting costs to weigh down and even imperil Putin. — Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 14 Sep. 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