Jeopardy
Jeopardy means danger or risk — especially when something valuable could be lost. Learn how to use this word in professional and everyday situations with examples and a memory trick.
Simple meaning
Jeopardy means danger or serious risk — especially when something important, like a job, a relationship, or a plan, could be lost or harmed.
Detailed meaning
Jeopardy comes from old French — jeu parti, meaning an even game, a game where both sides have an equal chance of winning or losing. Over time, it shifted to mean: a situation where the outcome is uncertain and something important could be lost.
You will see it most often in:
- Legal contexts — double jeopardy means being tried for the same crime twice
- Professional situations — a project, a deal, or a career being at risk
- Formal writing and news — when important things are in danger
The phrase in jeopardy is the most common use — "The deal is in jeopardy."
Where to use it
It works well in:
- Project and business language — "The delay puts our Q3 targets in jeopardy."
- News reports — "The peace talks are in jeopardy after the latest incident."
- Serious personal situations — "Her visa is in jeopardy because of the administrative error."
Where not to use it
Jeopardy is for serious risks — not minor inconveniences. Using it for small matters sounds dramatic and weakens the word.
5 example sentences
- The funding cuts put the entire research programme in jeopardy.
- One bad quarter doesn't put the company in jeopardy — but three in a row might.
- His chances of promotion were in jeopardy after the missed deadline.
- The flooding put thousands of homes in jeopardy along the river delta.
- She refused to let the team's hard work be put in jeopardy by poor planning at the top.
Common mistakes
Similar & opposite words
Similar (synonyms)
Opposite (antonyms)
Shade of difference: Risk is neutral — it just means a possibility of loss. Jeopardy is stronger — something important is actively threatened. Peril is the most dramatic — it often implies physical danger and is more common in writing than speech.
Memory trick
Summary
Jeopardy means a serious risk of losing something important — a plan, a career, a relationship, a deal. The phrase in jeopardy is the natural one. Use it when the stakes are real and the outcome is uncertain.
When a project or plan faces a real threat, name it directly: "This is in jeopardy unless we act now." It signals urgency without panic — and it gets people's attention faster than softer language.
Next word — Lethal. Or, jump to today's kural.