risk
Americannoun
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exposure to the chance of injury or loss; a hazard or dangerous chance.
It's not worth the risk.
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Insurance.
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the hazard or chance of loss.
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the degree of probability of such loss.
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the amount that the insurance company may lose.
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a person or thing with reference to the hazard involved in insuring him, her, or it.
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the type of loss, as life, fire, marine disaster, or earthquake, against which an insurance policy is drawn.
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verb (used with object)
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to expose to the chance of injury or loss; hazard.
to risk one's life.
- Synonyms:
- jeopardize, endanger, imperil
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to venture upon; take or run the chance of.
to risk a fall in climbing;
to risk a war.
- Synonyms:
- chance
idioms
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take / run a risk, to expose oneself to the chance of injury or loss; put oneself in danger; hazard; venture.
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at risk,
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in a dangerous situation or status; in jeopardy.
families at risk in the area of the weakened dam.
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under financial or legal obligation; held responsible.
Are individual investors at risk for the debt part of the real estate venture?
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noun
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the possibility of incurring misfortune or loss; hazard
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insurance
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chance of a loss or other event on which a claim may be filed
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the type of such an event, such as fire or theft
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the amount of the claim should such an event occur
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a person or thing considered with respect to the characteristics that may cause an insured event to occur
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vulnerable; likely to be lost or damaged
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social welfare vulnerable to personal damage, to the extent that a welfare agency might take protective responsibility
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informal an expression of assent
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to proceed in an action without regard to the possibility of danger involved in it
verb
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to expose to danger or loss; hazard
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to act in spite of the possibility of (injury or loss)
to risk a fall in climbing
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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risksimple
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riskssimple
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have riskedperfect
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has riskedperfect
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am riskingprogressive
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are riskingprogressive
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is riskingprogressive
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have been riskingperfect progressive
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has been riskingperfect progressive
Past
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riskedsimple
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had riskedperfect
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was riskingprogressive
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were riskingprogressive
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had been riskingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of risk
First recorded in 1655–65; from French risque, from Italian rischio, risco, of obscure origin
Explanation
A risk is an action that holds a chance of danger or failure. Although it's fun jump around on glaciers, the risk of falling down a crack into a freezing lake might deter you from ice climbing. Risk comes from the French for danger. As nouns, risk and danger are close synonyms. The verb risk means to run a danger, in hopes of reward. So risk is similar to gamble. If you're very ill, you might risk a dangerous surgery. We also use risk for money or security. You can risk your good health by working with infected patients without sterile equipment. Or you can risk your life savings on the stock market.
Vocabulary lists containing risk
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Risk management was a separate conversation they’d get to eventually.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 11, 2026
The official count from the agency - the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council - typically comes about a day after the incident.
From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026
Risk reversals are simple, but the strategy does have a downside.
From Barron's • May 20, 2026
Founded by two former Goldman Sachs traders, UMA is overseen by Risk Labs, a foundation registered in the Cayman Islands.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026
Most eerie, the Risk game was put away, back on top of the bookshelf.
From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
