Definition
To jeopardize something is to expose it to danger — to act in a way that could destroy or lose a thing that was, until then, safe. You jeopardize your health, a deal, a friendship, a career. The word always implies that something worth keeping now hangs in the balance because of a risk taken or a mistake made; it does not mean certain ruin, but it means the safe ground is gone and loss has become a real possibility.
Examples
- One careless email could jeopardize months of delicate negotiation.
- Cutting corners on safety to save time jeopardizes the crew and can undermine years of hard-won trust.
- He refused to jeopardize his recovery by going back to such a precarious situation too soon.
Collocations
jeopardize the project·jeopardize your health·seriously jeopardize·jeopardize a deal·jeopardize relations
Synonyms
endanger·imperil·risk·threaten·compromise
Antonyms
protect·safeguard·secure
Word family
jeopardy (noun)
In TOEFL & IELTS
A high-value verb for IELTS Writing on risk, policy, and the environment — 'this could jeopardize long-term sustainability' is far stronger than 'cause problems'. It takes a valued thing as its object (health, peace, success). The noun is jeopardy ('in jeopardy'). Spelled with -ize or -ise depending on the variety.