16 N‑SING [with poss] The rise of someone is the process by which they become more important, successful, or powerful. □ Haig's rise was fuelled by an all-consuming sense of patriotic duty.
17 PHRASE If something gives rise to an event or situation, it causes that event or situation to happen. □ Low levels of choline in the body can give rise to high blood-pressure.
18 to rise to the bait → see bait
19 to rise to the challenge → see challenge
20 to rise to the occasion → see occasion
▸ rise above PHRASAL VERB If you rise above a difficulty or problem, you manage not to let it affect you. □ [V P n] It tells the story of an aspiring young man's attempt to rise above the squalor of the street.
▸ rise up → see rise 1 , rise 2 , rise 5
ris|en /r I z ə n/ Risen is the past participle of rise .
ris|er /ra I zə r / (risers )
1 N‑COUNT An early riser is someone who likes to get up early in the morning. A late riser is someone who likes to get up late. □ He was an early riser and he would be at the breakfast table at seven.
2 N‑COUNT A riser is the flat vertical part of a step or a stair. [TECHNICAL ]
ris|ible /r I z I b ə l/ ADJ If you describe something as risible , you mean that it is ridiculous and does not deserve to be taken seriously. [FORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ]
ri s|ing da mp N‑UNCOUNT If a building has rising damp , moisture that has entered the bricks has moved upwards from the floor, causing damage to the walls. [BRIT ]
ri s|ing sta r (rising stars ) N‑COUNT A rising star in a particular sport, art, or area of business is someone who is starting to do very well and who people think will soon be very successful. [JOURNALISM ] □ Anna is a rising star in the world of modelling.
risk ◆◆◇ /r I sk/ (risks , risking , risked )
1 N‑VAR [N that] If there is a risk of something unpleasant, there is a possibility that it will happen. □ [+ of ] There is a small risk of brain damage from the procedure. □ In all the confusion, there's a serious risk that the main issues will be forgotten.
2 N‑COUNT If something that you do is a risk , it might have unpleasant or undesirable results. □ You're taking a big risk showing this to Kravis.
3 N‑COUNT If you say that something or someone is a risk , you mean they are likely to cause harm. □ It's being overfat that constitutes a health risk. □ The restaurant has been refurbished–it was found to be a fire risk.
4 N‑COUNT If you are considered a good risk , a bank or shop thinks that it is safe to lend you money or let you have goods without paying for them at the time. □ Before providing the cash, they will have to decide whether you are a good or bad risk.
5 VERB If you risk something unpleasant, you do something which might result in that thing happening or affecting you. □ [V n/v-ing] Those who fail to register risk severe penalties.
6 VERB If you risk doing something, you do it, even though you know that it might have undesirable consequences. □ [V v-ing/n] The captain was not willing to risk taking his ship through the straits in such bad weather.
7 VERB If you risk your life or something else important, you behave in a way that might result in it being lost or harmed. □ [V n] She risked her own life to help a disabled woman.
8 PHRASE To be at risk means to be in a situation where something unpleasant might happen. □ Up to 25,000 jobs are still at risk. [Also + of ]
9 PHRASE If you do something at the risk of something unpleasant happening, you do it even though you know that the unpleasant thing might happen as a result. □ At the risk of being repetitive, I will say again that statistics are only a guide.
10 PHRASE If you tell someone that they are doing something at their own risk , you are warning them that, if they are harmed, it will be their own responsibility. □ Those who wish to come here will do so at their own risk.
11 PHRASE If you run the risk of doing or experiencing something undesirable, you do something knowing that the undesirable thing might happen as a result. □ The officers had run the risk of being dismissed.
12 to risk your neck → see neck SYNONYMS risk NOUN
1
danger: If there is a danger of famine, we should help.
chance: Do you think they have a chance of beating Australia?
threat: Some couples see single women as a threat to their relationships.
2
gamble: Yesterday, he named his cabinet and took a big gamble in the process.
chance: From then on, they were taking no chances.
venture: …his latest writing venture.
ri sk ma n|age|ment N‑UNCOUNT Risk management is the skill or job of deciding what the risks are in a particular situation and taking action to prevent or reduce them.
ri sk-taking N‑UNCOUNT Risk-taking means taking actions which might have unpleasant or undesirable results. □ …a more entrepreneurial climate, with positive encouragement of risk-taking and innovation.