imperil
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
- imperilment noun
Etymology
Origin of imperil
Explanation
One thing can imperil another when it threatens to be harmful. For example, an approaching storm with hurricane-force winds might imperil the geraniums you just planted in your front yard. A city's budget cuts might imperil a school's ability to hire new teachers and buy supplies. The lack of money, in other words, is a threat to schools. Likewise, a factory's refusal to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions will imperil the air quality nearby — and ultimately, imperil the health of the whole planet. The word imperil comes from in and peril, meaning "danger."
Vocabulary lists containing imperil
This Week in Words: March 10 - 16, 2018
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This Week in Words: September 17 - 24, 2017
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This Week in Words: December 1 - 7 , 2018
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Justice Department filed an appeal against Leon's ruling on Thursday, arguing it "would imperil the president and national security and indefinitely leave a large hole beside the Executive Residence".
From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026
Microsoft on Tuesday warned a judge that the Pentagon blacklisting of Anthropic could hamper US warfighters and imperil the country's drive to lead in artificial intelligence.
From Barron's • Mar. 11, 2026
There is a temptation to gloat, laugh at and mock them, but that may be a trap which further imperil American democracy.
From Salon • Feb. 20, 2026
Press rights advocates have expressed concern that the administration’s approach could have a chilling effect on coverage and imperil journalists.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 2, 2025
Altogether it is thought–though it is really only a guess, based on extrapolating from cratering rates on the Moon–that some two thousand asteroids big enough to imperil civilized existence regularly cross our orbit.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
