risk

play

noun \ ˈrisk \

Definition of risk

1 :possibility of loss or injury :peril

2 :someone or something that creates or suggests a hazard

3 a :the chance of loss or the perils to the subject matter of an insurance contract; also :the degree of probability of such loss

b :a person or thing that is a specified hazard to an insurer

c :an insurance hazard from a specified cause or source

war risk

4 :the chance that an investment (such as a stock or commodity) will lose value

—

riskless

play \ˈris-kləs\ adjective

— at risk

:in a state or condition marked by a high level of risk or susceptibility

patients at risk of infection

See risk defined for English-language learners

See risk defined for kids

Examples of risk in a Sentence

I prefer not to expose my money to too much risk.
The degree of risk is minimal.
All investments have an element of risk.
The trip didn't seem like much of a risk.
I'm aware of the risks associated with this treatment.
There is a risk of liver damage with this medication.
Wearing a seatbelt greatly reduces the risk of injury or death in a car accident.
We feel that this product presents a significant risk to public health.
To me, skydiving is not worth the risk.
Smoking is a risk to your lungs.

Recent Examples of risk from the Web

Thousands of Mumbai buildings that are more than 100 years old are at risk of collapse, their foundations weakened partly by some of the heaviest rainfall that the city has witnessed in more than 15 years.

— Washington Post, "Building collapses in India, killing at least 12; 25 trapped," 31 Aug. 2017
Some spots may get as much as a foot, raising the risk of more flooding.

— juan a. lozano, The Seattle Times, "Houston sees glimmer of hope after Harvey but threats loom," 30 Aug. 2017
There will also be the risk of a few brief tornadoes in the stronger rain bands.

— leigh morgan, AL.com, "Tropical Storm Harvey brings rain and risk of severe weather to Alabama," 30 Aug. 2017
AMIT also offers at-risk youth numerous courses and programs that teach practical and needed vocational skills, so students are prepared to play important roles in the automotive, mechanical, electrical and other growth industries.

— randall p. lieberman, Jewish Journal, "Boynton Judaica artist to lead workshop for Israeli charity," 30 Aug. 2017
The transplant and recovery are typically straightforward, Hollinger said, but the risks for recipients include bleeding, infection or anesthesia complications.

— jeremy gorner, chicagotribune.com, "Chicago's grateful top cop to get kidney Wednesday from donor son," 29 Aug. 2017
An editorial in the British Medical Journal suggests the treatment carries a long-term risk of cancer.

— aneri pattani, New York Times, "A New Skin Lightening Procedure Is Short on Evidence," 28 Aug. 2017
Some services go beyond medicine itself, and Nannette Stamm, chief health promotions officer, explained the clinic’s longstanding Project Reach, which mentors at-risk teenagers in Oceanside, and the college scholarships provided to its participants.

— lola sherman seaside musings, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Community health clinic ‘a beacon of hope’ to those in need," 24 Aug. 2017
In the time between the two surveys, women who drink at what is considered a high-risk level increased by 60 percent, and their rate of alcohol use disorders went up by 84 percent.

— suzannah weiss, Glamour, "What Does High-Risk Drinking Really Look Like?," 24 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'risk.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of risk

French risque, from Italian risco

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1655

See Words from the same year

risk Synonyms

Synonyms

hazard, imminence, menace, peril, pitfall, danger, threat, trouble

Antonyms

safeness, safety, secureness, security

Related Words

snare, trap; booby trap

Near Antonyms

guard, protection, safeguard, shield, ward; asylum, harbor, haven, refuge, retreat, shelter

risk

verb

Definition of risk

transitive verb

1 :to expose to hazard or danger

risked her life

2 :to incur the risk or danger of

risked breaking his neck

—

risker

noun

See risk defined for English-language learners

Examples of risk in a Sentence

She risked her life to save her children.
He risked all his money on starting his own business.
He risked breaking his neck.
She's risking being considered too sentimental.
The country risked a war.
brave people who risked being killed to help others
I'm not willing to risk getting lost. I'm going to buy a map.
The company is risking the loss of millions of dollars.
It's not wise to risk traveling so soon after surgery.

Recent Examples of risk from the Web

In Afghanistan, that would mean the Taliban converting from a guerrilla to a conventional force in an effort to take and hold big cities but would thus risk presenting a conventional military target that could be defeated in open battle.

— chicagotribune.com, "There is no war in Afghanistan," 30 Aug. 2017
People risk their lives to save their neighbors as well as strangers.

— alexis c. madrigal, The Atlantic, "Why the Gulf Coast Is Uniquely Vulnerable to Disasters," 29 Aug. 2017
After all, people from Beijing to London equally risk walking into a fountain or lamppost, distracted by their Apple, Google, or Huawei phones.

— jesse mcwaters, Fortune, "The Next Financial Crisis Could Be Worse Than 2008," 28 Aug. 2017
Meanwhile, the transgender service members risking their lives to defend the country are left in limbo.

— margaret hartmann, Daily Intelligencer, "White House Finds Solution to Transgender Military Ban: Delay, Then Let Mattis Decide," 24 Aug. 2017
Making a play for the virtual-assistant shopping market is critical for both companies, who risk falling further behind Jeff Bezos’s rapidly expanding e-commerce empire.

— maya kosoff, The Hive, "Jeff Bezos’s Rivals Are Teaming Up to Take on Amazon," 23 Aug. 2017
Think about it: This is an easy way to look sun-kissed without risking UV damage to your skin.

— rebecca shinners, Allure, "Faux Freckles Are Having a Major Moment on Pinterest," 4 Aug. 2017
If consumers are forced to dump an existing Z270 motherboard for a newer Z370 to get a six-core Coffee Lake CPU, Intel risks driving them into the arms of AMD and its Ryzen CPUs.

— gordon mah ung, PCWorld, "Facepalm: Intel's upcoming Coffee Lake CPUs won't work with today's motherboards," 2 Aug. 2017
These workers are bringing new life into the world and risking their own lives to do so.

— leah torres, SELF, "We Really Need to Stop Being So Awful to Pregnant People," 28 July 2017

First Known Use of risk

1660

risk Synonyms

Synonyms

adventure, chance, gamble (on), hazard, tempt, venture, run the risk of

Related Words

beard, brave, brazen, breast, challenge, confront, dare, defy, face, outbrave; compromise, endanger, imperil, jeopardize, menace; expose, subject; bet (on), wager

Near Antonyms

guard, protect, shelter, shield; preserve, resume, save

RISK Defined for English Language Learners

risk

play

noun

Definition of risk for English Language Learners

: the possibility that something bad or unpleasant (such as an injury or a loss) will happen
: someone or something that may cause something bad or unpleasant to happen
: a person or thing that someone judges to be a good or bad choice for insurance, a loan, etc.

risk

verb

Definition of risk for English Language Learners

: to put (something) in a situation in which it could be lost, damaged, etc.
: to do something that could result in (something bad or unpleasant)
: to do (something that may have harmful or bad results)

RISK Defined for Kids

risk

play

noun \ ˈrisk \

Definition of risk for Students

1 :possibility of loss or injury

This adventure involves risks.

2 :something or someone that may cause loss or injury

Smoking is a health risk.

risk

verb

Definition of risk for Students

risked; risking

1 :to expose to danger

He risked his life to save the children.

2 :to take the risk or danger of

I'm not willing to risk hurting myself.

Medical Dictionary

risk

play

noun \ ˈrisk \

medical Definition of risk

1 :possibility of loss, injury, disease, or death

hypertension increases the risk of stroke

2 :a person considered in terms of the possible bad effects of a particular course of treatment

a poor surgical risk

— at risk

:in a state or condition marked by a high level of risk or susceptibility

patients at risk of developing infections

Law Dictionary

risk

noun

legal Definition of risk

1 a :possibility of loss or injury

b :liability for loss or injury if it occurs

the risk of loss passes to the buyer when the goods are duly delivered to the carrier
—Uniform Commercial Code

the risk of personal injury and property damage should be placed with the manufacturer rather than the consumer
—Case & Comment

2 a :the chance of loss to the subject matter of an insurance contract :uncertainty with regard to loss; also :the degree of probability of such loss — compare peril

b :a person or thing that is a specified hazard to an insurer

a poor risk for insurance

c :an insurance hazard from a specified cause or source

a war risk

—

riskless

adjective

Learn More about risk

See words that rhyme with risk Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for risk Spanish Central: Translation of risk Nglish: Translation of risk for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of risk for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about risk

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risk

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Definition of risk for English Language Learners

risk

Definition of risk for English Language Learners

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risk

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Medical Dictionary

risk

medical Definition of risk

Law Dictionary

risk

legal Definition of risk

riskless

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