imperil

verb

im·​per·​il im-ˈper-əl 

-ˈpe-rəl

imperiled or imperilled; imperiling or imperilling

transitive verb

: to bring into peril : endanger

imperilment

im-ˈper-əl-mənt 

-ˈpe-rəl-

noun

Synonyms

• 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

In Brazil, wildcat gold mining degrades the Amazon rainforest and imperils Indigenous groups. —Charlie Campbell, Time, 15 Oct. 2025

Tonight's unanimous vote sends a powerful bipartisan message to those who ignore our laws and imperil our safety—this reckless misconduct will not be tolerated. —Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025

Annexation of the territory, which has been occupied by Israel since 1967, would further imperil that cause. —Andrea Mitchell, NBC news, 25 Sep. 2025

What does ABC's quick pulling of 'Kimmel' mean for the future of a genre already desperately imperiled by a changing media world? —Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 18 Sep. 2025

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