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risking

SayRISK-ing/ˈɹɪskɪŋ/

2 meanings of risking

Practice

  1. 1
    verb
    Present participle and gerund of risk.

    By staking everything on the deal, he was risking total financial ruin.

    Risking her reputation, she spoke out against the company's policy.

    Note

    Whatever follows the participle is its direct object, and that object can be one of three things. It can be the bad outcome itself (risking ruin), what stands to be harmed (risking her reputation), or the action that invites the danger, written as another -ing form (risking losing everything). The same spelling also serves as the countable noun, which takes a plural and an of-phrase rather than an object.

    He knew he was risking losing his seat by voting against the bill.

    Nobody wanted to be seen risking getting caught.

  2. 2
    noununcountable
    The act of exposing something to possible loss, harm, or danger.

    The risking of innocent lives for profit drew widespread condemnation.

    His constant risking of capital eventually paid off handsomely.

    Similarendangerment, gambling

    Note

    Here the act is counted: one risking, several riskings, each a separate occasion of putting something in danger. Legal philosophy finds this useful. Larry Alexander and Kimberly Kessler Ferzan's Reflections on Crime and Culpability (2018) speaks of "culpable riskings of harm," judging each act on its own. The of-phrase names what is risked. It is a careful, rather formal word, best kept for writing that weighs individual acts.

risking is a form of risk

risk, verb: To expose someone or something valued to the possibility of harm or loss. Full entry

Forms
riskrisks he/she/itrisking -ing formrisked past tense, past participle
Spelling
risk → risking: add -ing

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