What does "risk" mean?
The probability of a negative outcome to a decision or event.
Risk
/ɹɪsk/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The probability of a negative outcome to a decision or event.
- Grammar: risk is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: danger, hazard, peril, accident.
- Useful contrasts: city safety initiative, french sécurité, secure.
- Usage evidence: Only those who risk going too far will know how far one can go.
How to use "risk"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "risk" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "risk" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "risk" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "risk" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "risk" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "danger" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "risk", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The probability of a negative outcome to a decision or event. uncountable
"There is risk of being brutalized, arrested, imprisoned and tortured, all because I want you to know the truth about this matter."
- 2 a venture undertaken without regard to possible loss or injury wordnet
- 3 The magnitude of possible loss consequent to a decision or event. uncountable
"Will they find the prospect of greater risk a cause for concern, rather than a gift from the right?"
- 4 the probability of being exposed to an infectious agent wordnet
- 5 The potential negative effect of an event, determined by multiplying the likelihood of the event occurring with its magnitude should it occur. uncountable
"If there is a 25% chance of running over schedule, costing you a $100 out of your own pocket, that might be a risk you are willing to take. But if you have a 5% chance of running overschedule, knowing that there is a $10,000 penalty, you might be less willing to take that risk."
Show 8 more definitions
- 6 the probability of becoming infected given that exposure to an infectious agent has occurred wordnet
- 7 A possible adverse event or outcome. countable
"the imminent and constant risk of assassination, a risk which has shaken very strong nerves"
- 8 a source of danger; a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune wordnet
- 9 A possible adverse event or outcome.; A type of adverse event covered under an insurance policy. countable, uncountable
- 10 A thing (from the perspective of how likely or unlikely it is to cause an adverse effect). countable
"That man is going to be a big risk once he's out of prison."
- 11 A thing (from the perspective of how likely or unlikely it is to cause an adverse effect).; A borrower (such as a mortgage-holder or person with a credit card). countable, uncountable
"A good credit rating indicates the customer is a desirable risk."
- 12 A thing (from the perspective of how likely or unlikely it is to cause an adverse effect).; A financial product (typically an investment). countable, uncountable
"Subprime mortgages are poor risks; especially for a pension scheme."
- 13 A thing (from the perspective of how likely or unlikely it is to cause an adverse effect).; An entity insured by an insurer. countable, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To incur risk of (an unwanted or negative outcome). transitive
"These people are putting themselves in danger by physically being on or near to the railway lines and risking serious injury."
- 2 take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome wordnet
- 3 To incur risk of harming or jeopardizing. transitive
"England captain David Beckham has warned Wayne Rooney not to risk his long-term future by rushing his return from injury."
- 4 expose to a chance of loss or damage wordnet
- 5 To incur risk as a result of (doing something). transitive
"Because of the wide range of styles on this album, it's hard to pin down the genre. I will risk suggesting folk-rock in an effort to be helpful."
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Only those who risk going too far will know how far one can go."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "risk"?
Common synonyms include: danger, hazard, peril, accident, accidentality, actuarial calculation.
How do you use "risk" in a sentence?
Only those who risk going too far will know how far one can go.
How do you pronounce "risk"?
Pronounced /ɹɪsk/.
Etymology
From earlier risque, from Middle French risque, from Old Italian risco (“risk”) (modern Italian rischio) and rischiare (“to run into danger”). Displaced native Old English pleoh (“risk”) and plēon (“to risk”). speculation on earlier roots Most dictionaries consider the etymology of these Italian terms uncertain, but some suggest they perhaps come from Vulgar Latin *resecum (“that which cuts, rock, crag”) (> Medieval Latin resicu), from Latin resecō (“cut off, loose, curtail”, verb), in the sense of that which is a danger to boating or shipping; or from Ancient Greek ῥιζικόν (rhizikón, “root, radical, hazard”). A few dictionaries express more certainty. Collins says the Italian risco comes from Ancient Greek ῥίζα (rhíza, “cliff”) due to the hazards of sailing along rocky coasts. The American Heritage says it probably comes from Byzantine Greek ῥιζικό, ριζικό (rhizikó, rizikó, “sustenance obtained by a soldier through his own initiative, fortune”), from Arabic رِزْق (rizq, “sustenance, that which God allots”), from Classical Syriac ܪܘܙܝܩܐ ,ܪܙܩܐ (rezqā, rōzīqā, “daily ration”), from Middle Persian [script needed] (rōčig), from Middle Persian [script needed] (rōč, “day”), from Old Persian [script needed] (*raučah-), from Proto-Indo-European *lewk-. Karla Mallette derives the word from Arabic رِزْق (rizq, “sustenance, that which God allots”) via Sabir. Cognate with Spanish riesgo, Portuguese risco