imperil

verb

imperiled or imperilled; imperiling or imperilling

transitive verb

: to bring into peril : endanger

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Although his administration has since backpedaled from that threat, the evisceration of USAID has already imperiled important civilian programs in both Jordan and Egypt. Lisa Anderson, Foreign Affairs, 14 Mar. 2025 The layoffs could be another step toward the imminent shutdown of the Education Department, imperiling student loan borrowers. Shahar Ziv, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025 The James Cameron film, which sees Arnold Schwarzenegger protecting a future freedom fighter imperiled by an evil AI system, sparked the filmmaker’s lifelong fascination with AI. Katie Kilkenny, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Mar. 2025 Now, after the bridge’s collapse, many of their commutes could be considerably longer, imperiling their jobs in some cases. Josh Silver, Baltimore Sun, 3 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for imperil

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of imperil was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Imperil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/imperil. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

imperil

verb
imperiled or imperilled; imperiling or imperilling
: to place in great danger : endanger

More from Merriam-Webster on imperil

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!