imperil

present singular third person imperils · US participle present imperiling · UK participle present imperilling · US participle past imperiled · US past imperiled · UK participle past imperilled · UK past imperilled · alternative obsolete emperil

1. transitiveTo put into peril; to place in danger.

   Boating and fishing groups contend that the 130 [wind energy] towers would be a navigation hazard and offshore construction would imperil the fisheries.

   2006 June, Jeffrey Winters, “Wind Out of Their Sails”, in Mechanical Engineering, page 31

   3 more examples

   […]they occupied the country, expelled the inhabitants, and terminated for ever the rivalry which had so long imperilled their own naval supremacy in Greece.

   1879, F. D. Morice, Pindar, chapter 10, page 169

   "If Russia mobilises, it is for defence. No nation in the world would dream of attacking Germany, nor has Germany the slightest intention of imperilling her coming supremacy amongst the nations by such crude methods as military enterprise. Servia must be punished, naturally, but to that, in principle, every nation in Europe is agreed. We shall not permit Austria to overstep the mark."

   1920, Edward Phillips Oppenheim, The Great Impersonation, Chapter 25

   Before long, he had enough baby alligators to imperil every nipple for miles around but a problem soon arose when the cute baby alligators matured into vicious adult beasts.

   2005, Annabelle du Fouet, “Toys for kinky girls and boys—It’s not just whips and chains anymore.” (chapter 3), in Weather Balloons Make Rotten Sex Toys, Ellora's Cave, →ISBN, page 54

   Synonyms: endanger

2. transitiveTo risk or hazard.