jeopardy
Americannoun
-
jeopardies
plural
-
hazard or risk of or exposure to loss, harm, death, or injury.
For a moment his life was in jeopardy.
- Antonyms:
- security
-
peril or danger.
The spy was in constant jeopardy of being discovered.
- Antonyms:
- security
-
Law. the danger or hazard of being found guilty, and of consequent punishment, undergone by criminal defendants on trial.
noun
-
danger of injury, loss, death, etc; risk; peril; hazard
his health was in jeopardy
-
law danger of being convicted and punished for a criminal offence See also double jeopardy
Synonym Usage
See danger.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of jeopardy
1200–50; Middle English j ( e ) uparti, joupardi ( e ), j ( e ) upardi ( e ) < Anglo-French, Old French: literally, divided game or play, hence, uncertain chance, problem (in chess or love), equivalent to j ( e ) u play, game (< Latin jocus joke ) + parti, past participle of partir to divide; see party
Explanation
To be in jeopardy is to be in danger. Eating three plates of nachos a day may improve your chances of winning your office's nacho-eating contest; unfortunately, it could also put your health in jeopardy. Jeopardy is a state of being, so this word is almost always preceded by the preposition "in." The phrase "in jeopardy" is just one of several ways to convey that someone is in trouble. You can also try "at risk," "in danger," or — if you're into idioms — "on thin ice," "out on a limb," or "up the creek without a paddle."
Vocabulary lists containing jeopardy
The Bill of Rights
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This Week in Words: July 31 - August 4, 2017
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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.
See Examples For:
An executor’s duties are not insignificant, and they come with legal jeopardy, so your friend’s ask is a big one.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
When Sarwar said publicly, back in February, that Sir Keir should stand down, it was a moment of colossal jeopardy for the now former prime minister.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Things wouldn’t have had to escalate to that level to create legal jeopardy for the mayor—and for other officials, or anyone who joined him in planning such an unlawful “arrest.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
Ask yourself what things seem to be in jeopardy in our Constitution and find a way to make a change for those.
From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026
Never mind that his handiwork was in jeopardy when a high tide rushed in; if disaster struck, he would simply rebuild everything.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
Her second record, The Art of Loving, is brimming with memorable songs about the jeopardies and joys of falling in love.
From BBC ● Feb. 27, 2026
And there the sisters are placed in strange and typical Village jeopardies.
From Time Magazine Archive
Another type of response is elicited by this column when we report on the joys and jeopardies encountered by individual staff members in preparing stories.
From Time Magazine Archive
The difference is that guarding the nation is not just another job; it is a moral obligation involving jeopardies and commitments that cannot safely be jobbed out, in effect, on a mercenary basis.
From Time Magazine Archive
He who jeopardies his own station and character for the sake of one actually his enemy!
From The O'Donoghue Tale Of Ireland Fifty Years Ago by Lever, Charles James
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.
