Involving or exposed to the possibility of loss, injury, or danger.
From 'risk,' which entered English in the 16th century from French 'risque' or Italian 'risco,' possibly from Arabic 'riqq' (to break) or from a Romance language verb meaning 'to venture.' The suffix '-y' converts the noun to an adjective meaning 'characterized by risk.'
Humans are uniquely drawn to taking calculated risks—we're the only species that willingly bungee jumps or invests in startups! Neuroscience shows that our reward centers light up when we take risks, which is why both entrepreneurs and extreme athletes have similar brain activation patterns.
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