Meaning & use
take a risk
Last updated
Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
To do something that could have a bad result, because you hope for a good one.
Grammar: Verb changes for tense: she took a risk, they are taking a risk.
Patterns
- take a risk on someone
- take a risk with something
- take a risk by doing something
She took a risk and quit her job to start a bakery.
You have to take a risk sometimes if you want to learn something new.
We took a risk by driving over the mountain in the snow.
phrasefixed phrase
To choose to trust or back someone or something that is uncertain.
Grammar: Often followed by on: the coach took a risk on a young player.
Patterns
- take a risk on someone
- take a risk on something
The manager took a risk on a candidate with no experience.
The studio took a risk on an unknown director.
Investors rarely take a risk on a company that has no income.
Word forms
| third person singular | takes a risk |
|---|---|
| past tense | took a risk |
| past participle | taken a risk |
| -ing form | taking a risk |
Common combinations
- take a big risk
- He took a big risk by lending money to a stranger.
- take a calculated risk
- The firm took a calculated risk and lowered its prices.
- not worth taking a risk
- It is not worth taking a risk with your health.
- willing to take a risk
- Entrepreneurs must be willing to take a risk.
- take a risk on
- The school took a risk on a new teaching method.
Synonyms and how they differ
- gamble
- Gamble stresses that the outcome depends on chance and sometimes suggests money, so it can sound more reckless than take a risk.
- venture
- Venture is more formal and suggests setting out on something new and uncertain, often a business.
- stick your neck out
- Stick your neck out is informal and adds the idea of exposing yourself to criticism or blame.
- chance it
- Chance it is casual and used for small decisions where you hope nothing goes wrong.
Opposites
Word family
- risk noun
- the chance of something bad
- risky adjective
- likely to have bad results
- risk-taker noun
- a person who often takes risks
- risk-averse adjective
- unwilling to take risks
Commonly confused: take a risk or run a risk?
take a risk vs run a risk
Run a risk means being exposed to danger, often without choosing it, while take a risk means choosing the danger on purpose.
Practice
Maya decided to ______ a risk and move abroad without a job lined up.
Choose one answer.
The fixed collocation is take a risk. Make and do are tempting but are not used with risk in this meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “take a risk”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.