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

Disability rights experts say those agreements could now be imperiled. — Stephanie Armour, CBS News, 31 July 2026

What has imperiled this novel from following in the footsteps of publishing phenomena from The Horse Whisperer to 50 Shades of Grey and The Hunger Games? — Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 30 July 2026

Winners and losers in the shifting tax landscape Critics say the trend toward lower income taxes favors wealthy individuals and corporations and imperils public investments in infrastructure, housing, education and childcare. — Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 30 July 2026

But the revolt imperiled Infantino, as Europe contemplated replacing him with Nasser Al-Khelaifi, a hugely influential figure in European club soccer. — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 30 July 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