risk

1 of 2

noun

ˈrisk

Synonyms of risk next

: possibility of loss or injury : peril

: someone or something that creates or suggests a hazard

: the chance of loss or the perils to the subject matter of an insurance contract

also : the degree of probability of such loss

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

: an insurance hazard from a specified cause or source

war risk

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

riskless

ˈrisk-ləs

adjective

risk

2 of 2

verb

risked; risking; risks

transitive verb

: to expose to hazard or danger

risked her life

: to incur the risk or danger of

risked breaking his neck

risker noun

Phrases

at risk

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

patients at risk of infection

Example Sentences

Noun 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. Verb 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. See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Teixeira’s attorneys have pushed back against those claims, saying Teixeira was peacefully reading a Bible when agents came to arrest him, and that prosecutors’ notions of the risks to national security if he is released are far-fetched and fanciful. —

Devlin Barrett, Washington Post, 18 May 2023 The ever-present risk for severe weather and a community's ability to recover -- coupled with the area's opportunities for social activities -- are also taken into account when evaluating a best place to live. —

Tony Holt, Arkansas Online, 17 May 2023 Both problems demonstrate the risks of introducing AI to a minefield of the most human fears and passions. —

Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 17 May 2023 However, our research shows that farm parents are highly aware of the risks. —

Florence Becot, The Conversation, 17 May 2023 Companies experimenting with or rolling out products that use ChatGPT have cautioned employees about risks involving data leaks and privacy. —

Catherine Stupp, WSJ, 17 May 2023 Warming above this point increases the risk of triggering major tipping points, including the death of coral reefs and the melting of polar ice sheets, which will add to sea level rise, devastating coastal communities. —

Laura Paddison, CNN, 17 May 2023 The researchers concluded that the slower breasts are to lose density, the longer the person has an elevated risk for breast cancer. —

Kaitlin Sullivan, Health, 17 May 2023 In a clinical trial with nearly 7,400 participants, the vaccine lowered the risk of severe disease from RSV among infants by 82% within roughly three months after birth. —

Aria Bendix, NBC News, 17 May 2023

Verb

The draft letter, which has just begun to be circulated for signatures, comes as lawmakers have less than three weeks to act to raise the debt limit or risk a default that could send the country into a recession. —

Samantha-jo Roth, Washington Examiner, 17 May 2023 As the Treasury’s August 2 deadline to avoid risking a default in 2011 neared, U.S. markets were on thin ice. —

Tristan Bove, Fortune, 17 May 2023 Companies risk fines if their AI training data is boxed off in a way that precludes EU users from these rights. —

Scharon Harding, Ars Technica, 12 May 2023 Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco told those gathered that BOP officers and employees risk their lives to ensure the safety and security of the American public. —

Luke Barr, ABC News, 9 May 2023 Most men were required to register for the draft, and Taylor didn't want to risk being drafted as an infantryman. —

Kyle Melnick, BostonGlobe.com, 3 May 2023 The narrative centers on one tenacious young woman, Miep Gies, Otto Frank’s secretary, who risked everything to save the Frank family, and countless others. —

Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 29 Apr. 2023 Kate and Prince William spent the day on Thursday with volunteers of the Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team, who risk their lives keeping visitors to the nearby mountain range safe. —

Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 28 Apr. 2023 The project’s definitive flatness has freed me from the task of completing a memory, offering instead a scaffold for its unfolding, a way of marking it without risking its betrayal. —

Phoebe Chen, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'risk.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.