To jeopardize something means to put it at risk or in danger of being lost, damaged, or destroyed. When you jeopardize something valuable, you do something that might cause serious harm to it, even if you don't intend to.

A student who stops studying might jeopardize their good grades. An athlete who ignores an injury could jeopardize their whole season. A company that cuts corners on safety might jeopardize its workers' health and its own reputation. In each case, careless or risky actions threaten something important.

The word carries a sense of warning: when someone tells you, “Don't jeopardize your chances,” they're saying your actions could ruin an opportunity you care about. You might jeopardize a friendship by breaking someone's trust, or jeopardize your health by not getting enough sleep.

Notice that jeopardize suggests real consequences, not minor setbacks. You wouldn't say someone jeopardizes their lunch by forgetting a napkin, but you would say a captain jeopardizes the ship by ignoring storm warnings. The word reminds us that our choices have weight: actions that seem small in the moment can put important things genuinely at risk.