risk-averse

American  

[risk-uh-vurs] / ˈrɪsk əˌvɜrs /

adverb

1. reluctant to take risks; tending to avoid risks as much as possible.

   risk-averse entrepreneurs.

2. of or noting a person who invests in stocks, bonds, etc., with lower risks and generally lower rates of return so as to minimize the possibility of financial loss.

   risk-averse investors who stick with government bonds.

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Etymology

Origin of risk-averse

First recorded in 1960–65; risk ( def. ) + averse ( def. )

Example Sentences

It is almost impossible to imagine this crisis persisting without it threatening the global economy, while also making investors more risk averse.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 17, 2026

If they are risk averse, they put >10 years of their net annual expenses in their fixed-income safety ballast and the rest in equities.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026

"And this flaw doesn't just hurt those with LISAs. It puts off many young people, especially from lower income backgrounds, who tend to be more risk averse, from opening LISAs in the first place."

From BBC • Jul. 5, 2025

“I’m naturally risk averse so it was a difficult decision for me,” Sherman said about the fourth-down gamble.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 9, 2024

But many operators are so risk averse that, in effect, they increase the inefficiency of the market in order to avoid it.

From After the Rain : how the West lost the East by Vaknin, Samuel