Risked

Risked is the past tense and past participle of the verb risk. It describes the act of exposing someone or something to the possibility of danger, harm, or loss, or of venturing to do something with an uncertain outcome. It is a transitive verb, typically followed by a direct object.

Examples illustrate its range: “He risked his life to save the child,” “The company risked everything on the project,” and “She risked a guess about the answer.” In finance and business contexts, the phrase risked capital refers to funds that have been exposed to potential loss, highlighting the intentional exposure to risk.

Etymology: The verb risk in English traces back to early modern usage with influences from French and Italian terms such as risque or rischio, themselves related to danger or hazard. The precise linguistic origin is uncertain, but the form risked is formed by regular inflection with the addition of -ed to risk.

Related terms include risk, risky, risking, and riskiness. In everyday language and professional contexts—such as insurance, finance, and project management—risked conveys that a negative outcome was consciously accepted or factored into a decision or action.