Meaning of risk In English

• 0 the possibility of something bad happening:

  • In this business, the risks and the rewards are high.

  • There's a high risk of another accident happening in this fog.

  • [ + (that) ] The risk (that) we might fail made us work twice as hard.

  • [ + -ing verb ] It's always a risk starting up a new business.

  • The company is quite a good risk (= safe to lend money to).

  • We want clean rivers and lakes, where you can swim without risk to your health.

  • It's a low/high-risk strategy (= one that is safe/not safe).

  • This wire is a safety/fire risk.

  • His employers thought he was a security risk (= he might tell their secrets to a competitor).

  • All houses within 100 metres of the seas are at risk of flooding.

  • Drivers are reminded that they leave their cars here at their own risk.

  • Don't take any risks - just call the police.

  • You're running a big risk if oil prices drop sharply.

• 1 to do something although there is a chance of a bad result:

  • "It's dangerous to cross here." "I'll just have to risk it."

  • [ + -ing verb ] He risked losing his house when his company went bankrupt.

  • I'm not risking my life ( informal neck) in that old car.

  • He risked life and limb to get the cat down from the tree.

  • She was prepared to risk everything on a last throw of the dice.

• 2 danger, or the possibility of danger, defeat, or loss:

  • [ C ] There’s a risk of an accident happening in this fog.

  • [ C ] I was afraid to take the risk of quitting my job before I had another one lined up.

  • [ U ] We want clean rivers and lakes, where you can swim without risk to your health.

  • [ U ] It was a high/low risk situation (= a situation with a lot of/very little danger).

  • [ C ] Teenage drivers are considered higher risks.

  • A child who hasn’t been vaccinated is at risk.

• 3 to do something or to enter a situation where there is a possibility of being hurt or of a loss or defeat:

  • He risked his life helping another man escape the fire.

  • We risk losing the business if we don’t pay off the loan on time.

• 4 the possibility that something bad or dangerous will happen:

  • Heavy reliance upon one client is not without risk when building up a practice.

  • increase/reduce the risk of sth The agency is undertaking an urgent program to reduce the risk of runway collision.

• 5 something bad that might happen:

  • Our biggest risk is identity theft.

  • I think that people who come here illegally know the risks.

• 6 the possibility that an investment will lose money:

  • Before you invest in the Fund you should carefully evaluate the risks.

  • This stock is loaded with risk.

  • high/low/medium risk

  • carry (a) risk To invest in just one stock carries a high risk.

  • offset (a) risk Banks carry out several transactions to offset risk.

• 7 the possibility that something will be harmed, damaged, or lost:

  • high/low risk

  • insure against a risk Anyone who wants to insure against the risk of illness or accident can do so at a price.

• 8 a person or business that may or may not be safe to insure or lend money to:

  • a bad/good risk In terms of insurance eligibility, the couple constituted a bad risk.

• 9 in danger:

  • at risk of sth A spokeswoman last night admitted 13 people were at risk of redundancy.

  • at risk of doing sth With its stock price severely depressed, the company was at risk of being a target for private equity investors.

• 10 if you do something at your own risk, you do it although you know you might get harmed or lose something:

  • Please note that you download and install these programs entirely at your own risk.

• 11 to be responsible for or accept the risk involved in something:

  • The two sides couldn't agree on how to pay for the plant and who would bear the most financial risk in the agreement.

  • With traditional pensions the employer bears the risks and pays the benefits.

• 12 to put someone or something in a situation where they could be in danger:

  • Why put capital at significant risk for a return which is no higher than the return on government bonds?

• 13 to do something that might be harmful or dangerous:

  • You're running a big risk if oil prices drop sharply.

  • run the risk of doing sth Few IFAs are prepared to run the risk of advising a client to switch out of equities and into bonds and cash in case they get their timing wrong.

• 14 to reduce the chance of losing money by making several different types of investments:

  • While some shares in the fund may be falling in price, others could be rising, helping to spread your risk.

  • Unit trusts let small investors spread their risks by investing in a wide range of gilts.

• 15 to do something that might be harmful or dangerous:

  • The company thrived after taking a risk and selling its TV business.

  • take the risk of doing sth Over the past three months, investors who have taken the risk of investing in smaller companies have had a rough ride.

• 16 to put something in a situation where it could be lost or damaged:

  • Carol can get a better return on her investments without risking her capital.

  • The region was going through a huge economic downturn and it didn't want to risk its trade ties with the US

  • risk sth on sth Bonds are attractive to conservative investors who don't want to risk everything on the stock market.

• 17 to get into a situation or do something that might have a bad result:

  • The United States is becoming dangerously dependent on foreign investors to the point that it is risking a financial crisis.

  • risk doing sth If you're not exploiting the opportunities of e-commerce, you could risk going bankrupt.