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

These changes aim to create chaos, deliver the administration’s stated goal of traumatizing employees, and imperil the very existence of public lands — lands that belong to all Americans. —Tracy Stone-Manning, Denver Post, 21 Apr. 2026

Still, people keep finding ways to imperil their files, which grow ever more numerous and irreplaceable. —Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026

Further imperiling ties are reports that Beijing is backing Tehran with a spy satellite and weapons systems. —Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 16 Apr. 2026

If real estate values falter in a community, the decline could imperil a crucial revenue stream from property taxes for cities, counties, regional agencies, and school districts. —George Avalos, Mercury News, 15 Apr. 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