Word
jeopardize
Phoneticsjeop·ar·dize
/ˈdʒɛpɝˌdaɪz/
UK spelling · jeopardise
Definition
v. to put something important at risk. You use this when an action might cause a plan, a job, or a relationship to fail.
v. to expose to loss, damage, or failure; to place in a situation where there is a risk of harm.
Examples
“Drinking too much coffee might jeopardize your sleep tonight.”
“The athlete knew that missing another practice session would jeopardize her chances of making the Olympic team.”
“The CEO warned that any further leaks of confidential data would jeopardize the merger and lead to immediate legal action against those responsible.”
Examples
simple
“Drinking too much coffee might jeopardize your sleep tonight.”
contextual
“The athlete knew that missing another practice session would jeopardize her chances of making the Olympic team.”
complex
“The CEO warned that any further leaks of confidential data would jeopardize the merger and lead to immediate legal action against those responsible.”
Usage
The verb is transitive and requires a direct object, typically an abstract noun like 'safety', 'future', or 'career'.
Pitfall
jeopardize about the project
jeopardize the project
Jeopardize is a transitive verb and does not take a preposition before its object.
Etymology
From jeopardy + -ize.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/jeopardize