jeopardy

UK: /ˈdʒɛpə^rdi/ US: /ˈdʒɛpɚdi/ ,( jep′ər dē)

Inflections of 'jeopardy' (n): npl: jeopardies

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

jeop•ard•y /ˈdʒɛpɚdi/   n. [uncountable]

1. risk of or exposure to loss, harm, death, or injury;
   danger:
   to put one's life in jeopardy.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

jeop•ard•y  ( jep′ər dē), n., pl. -dies. 

1. hazard or risk of or exposure to loss, harm, death, or injury:
   For a moment his life was in jeopardy.
2. peril or danger:
   The spy was in constant jeopardy of being discovered.
3. Law the danger or hazard of being found guilty, and of consequent punishment, undergone by criminal defendants on trial.

• Latin jocus joke) + parti, past participle of partir to divide; see party
• Anglo-French, Old French: literally, divided game or play, hence, uncertain chance, problem (in chess or love), equivalent. to j(e)u play, game (
• Middle English j(e)uparti, joupardi(e), j(e)upardi(e) 1200–50

Synonyms

• 1, 2. See danger. 

Antonyms

• 1, 2. security.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

jeopardy / ˈdʒɛpədɪ/ noun (usually preceded by in)

1. danger of injury, loss, death, etc; risk; peril; hazard: his health was in jeopardy
2. danger of being convicted and punished for a criminal offence

Etymology: 14th Century: from Old French jeu parti, literally: divided game, hence uncertain issue, from jeu game, from Latin jocus joke, game + partir to divide, from Latin partīrī