Meaning & use
risk
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Meanings
nouncountable or uncountable
The chance that something bad, such as loss, injury or failure, will happen.
Grammar: Often followed by of or to: a risk of fire; a risk to health.
Patterns
- a risk of something
- a risk to someone
- at risk
There is a small risk of rain this afternoon.
Smoking raises the risk of heart disease.
Investors accept some risk in exchange for higher returns.
verbtransitive
To do something that could lead to harm or loss, or to put something valuable in danger.
Grammar: Followed by a noun or an -ing form, not an infinitive: risk losing, not risk to lose.
Patterns
- risk something
- risk doing something
He risked his savings on the new business.
You risk missing the train if you stop for coffee.
Rescuers risked their lives to save the hikers.
Word forms
| plural | risks |
|---|---|
| third person singular | risks |
| past tense | risked |
| past participle | risked |
| -ing form | risking |
Common combinations
- at risk
- Children are most at risk during the heat wave.
- take a risk
- Sometimes you have to take a risk.
- run the risk of
- You run the risk of being late.
- high risk
- This is a high risk investment.
- risk assessment
- The school completed a risk assessment.
Synonyms and how they differ
- danger
- Danger is the actual threat, while risk is the chance of it happening.
- hazard
- Hazard names a specific source of harm, such as a wet floor.
- gamble
- Gamble stresses a bet on an uncertain result, often for a reward.
Opposites
Word family
- risky adjective
- involving risk
- riskily adverb
- in a risky way
Commonly confused: risk or peril?
risk vs peril
Peril is a literary word for serious danger; risk is a possibility.
Practice
Which sentence is correct?
Choose one answer.
Risk is followed by an -ing form. The infinitive and the other patterns are not used.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “risk”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.