imperil

Imperil is a transitive verb meaning to put someone or something in danger or at risk; to expose to harm or jeopardy. It takes a direct object such as life, safety, the environment, a project, or a reputation. The term carries a formal or literary tone and is less common in everyday speech than endanger or jeopardize.

Etymology: Imperil is formed from the noun peril with the prefix im- to convey causing danger. The word ultimately derives from Latin periculum, meaning danger, and reached English via Old French and Middle English.

Usage: Imperil is typically used to describe actions or circumstances that create significant or imminent risk. It often implies a more serious or urgent threat than synonyms like endanger. The present participle is imperiling; the past tense is imperiled. A rare noun form, imperilment, exists but is uncommon.

Examples: The flood imperiled the residents. Cutting funding could imperil the project’s completion. The treaty was intended to protect security rather than imperil it.

See also: peril, endanger, jeopardize, risk.