ENGLISH
REFERENCE

at risk

prep. phr..
B1 Intermediate Oxford

prep. phr.. in a situation where something bad or dangerous might happen to you.

prep. phr.. in a state of vulnerability to danger, harm, or loss; often used to describe populations or assets exposed to specific hazards.


SIMPLE

Smoking puts your health at risk.

CONTEXTUAL

The local council warned that many historic buildings are at risk of collapsing after the flood.

COMPLEX

Without immediate intervention from the central bank, the entire financial sector remains at risk of a systemic liquidity crisis.

Usage

often followed by the preposition 'of' and a noun or gerund to specify the danger.

Teaching tip

contrast with 'in danger'; 'at risk' is frequently used in professional contexts like healthcare, social work, and finance to describe potential future harm.

Pitfall

The children are in risk.The children are at risk.the fixed preposition for this phrase is 'at', not 'in'.

© 2026 English Reference