imperil

/ɪmˈpɛɹəl/

//ɪmˈpɛɹəl// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"imperil" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“imperil” is uncommon English (frequency #63,701 among 2,140 “I” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#63,701
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To put into peril; to place in danger.

Corpus desk

Index EN-imperil · imperil · English

imperil · rank #63,701 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #63,701
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH indelibly

Nearest frequency peer: indelibly (+2 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “imperil”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “imperil” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for imperil
PropertyValue
Headwordimperil
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪmˈpɛɹəl/
Letters7
Frequency rank#63,701
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “imperil” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).imperilfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “indelibly” (#63,703), “ignominious” (#63,697), “instar” (#63,705). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “imperil” is #63,701. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

imperil is uncommon English at frequency #63,701 among 2,140 “I” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ɪmˈpɛɹəl/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for imperil in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From im- + peril. The correct English form is imperil, spelled I-M-P-E-R-I-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    To put into peril; to place in danger.
  2. 2
    To risk or hazard.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how imperil appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. […]they occupied the country, expelled the inhabitants, and terminated for ever the rivalry which had so long imperilled their own naval supremacy in Greece.
  2. "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…

Etymology

From im- + peril.

Synonyms

endanger

This word in other languages

amenazar(Español)menacer(Français)gefährden(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "imperil"?
"imperil" is spelled I-M-P-E-R-I-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪmˈpɛɹəl/.
What does "imperil" mean?
As a verb, "imperil" means: To put into peril; to place in danger.
How do you pronounce "imperil"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "imperil" is /ɪmˈpɛɹəl/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "imperil"?
From im- + peril. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "imperil", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Ipanema#63,708hosanna#63,686joyless#63,725Harwell#63,671

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list