Taking risks is a part of life, whether in your career, personal choices, or everyday decisions. Sometimes stepping out of your comfort zone means embracing uncertainty and challenges. To talk about these moments in English, knowing idioms about risk taking can really help. These idioms and phrases with risk bring clarity to conversations about courage, chance, and decision-making. This blog covers 20+ useful idioms and phrases for taking risks, all explained with simple Hindi meanings so you can learn and use them easily. Whether you want to sound confident in conversations or write better English, these risk idioms and phrases have got you covered.
20+ Idioms and Phrases For Risk with Hindi Meanings
Idioms and phrases for taking risks come from real-life actions, games, and adventures. They help describe situations where people face danger, make bold moves, or take chances. Learning these expressions not only improves your vocabulary but also helps you understand how English speakers talk about risk. Let’s explore some popular idioms for risk and phrases with risk, with clear examples and simple Hindi meanings to help you remember them better.
- Take a calculated risk
English Meaning: To carefully think before doing something risky.
Hindi Meaning: सोच-समझ कर खतरा लेना।
Example: Before starting the new business, Raju made a plan and took a calculated risk.
नया व्यापार शुरू करने से पहले, राजू ने योजना बनाई और सोच-समझ कर खतरा लिया।
- Take a gamble
English Meaning: To do something risky without knowing the result.
Hindi Meaning: अनजान खतरा लेना।
Example: She took a gamble by quitting her job without another one lined up.
उसने बिना दूसरी नौकरी लिए खुद की नौकरी छोड़कर अनजान खतरा लिया।
- Skate on thin ice
English Meaning: Doing something that is very risky and could cause trouble.
Hindi Meaning: बहुत जोखिम भरा काम करना।
Example: Talking about politics with strangers is skating on thin ice.
अजनबियों के साथ राजनीति पर बात करना बहुत जोखिम भरा है।
- Be high-stakes
English Meaning: A situation where a lot is at risk or can be lost.
Hindi Meaning: जहाँ बहुत कुछ दांव पर हो।
Example: The championship game was high-stakes for both teams.
Championship खेल दोनों टीमों के लिए बहुत बड़ा दांव था।
- Have a lot to lose
English Meaning: Being in a position where failure would cause big problems.
Hindi Meaning: खोने के लिए बहुत कुछ होना।
Example: She had a lot to lose if she failed the exam.
अगर वह परीक्षा में फेल हो जाती तो उसके खोने के लिए बहुत कुछ था।
- Stick your neck out
English Meaning: To take a big risk by saying or doing something bold.
Hindi Meaning: खतरे में पड़ जाना।
Example: Don’t be afraid to stick your neck out and share your ideas.
अपने विचार बांटने के लिए डरें नहीं, बल्कि जोखिम उठाये।
- Dice with death
English Meaning: Doing something extremely dangerous or risky that might cause death.
Hindi Meaning: मौत के साथ खेलना।
Example: Riding a motorcycle without a helmet is dicing with death.
हेलमेट के बिना बाइक चलाना मौत के साथ खेलना है।
- Risk life and limb
English Meaning: To put your life and body in danger.
Hindi Meaning: अपनी जान और शरीर को खतरे में डालना।
Example: Firefighters risk life and limb to save others.
Firefighters ने दूसरों को बचाने के लिए अपनी जान और शरीर को खतरे में डालते हैं।
- Take your life in your hands
English Meaning: To do something very dangerous that can kill you.
Hindi Meaning: अपनी जान को खतरे में डालना।
Example: Driving fast on icy roads means taking your life in your hands.
बर्फीले रास्तों पर तेज़ ड्राइविंग करना अपनी जान को खतरे में डालना है।
- A drowning man will clutch at a straw
English Meaning: When someone is in trouble, they try anything to survive.
Hindi Meaning: मुश्किल में कोई भी सहारा पकड़ लेता है।
Example: When he lost his job, he applied for every small opening, a drowning man will clutch at a straw.
जब उसकी नौकरी छूटी, तो उसने हर छोटी नौकरी के लिए आवेदन किया, इंसान मुश्किल में कोई भी सहारा पकड़ लेता है।
- A leap in the dark
English Meaning: Doing something without knowing the result or taking a blind risk.
Hindi Meaning: बिना जाने जोखिम लेना।
Example: Starting a new kind of business is a leap in the dark.
नया व्यापार शुरू करने का मतलब है बिना जाने जोखिम लेना।
- Bet the ranch
English Meaning: To risk everything you have on one chance.
Hindi Meaning: अपना सब कुछ एक बार में दांव पर लगाना।
Example: He bet the ranch on his startup and invested all his savings.
उसने अपने startup पर अपना सब कुछ दांव पर लगाया और सारी बचत लगा दी।
- Chance your arm
English Meaning: To take a risk and try something.
Hindi Meaning: जोखिम उठाना और कोशिश करना।
Example: I decided to chance my arm and ask for a raise.
मैंने जोखिम उठाकर वेतन बढ़ाने की मांग की।
- Gamble pays off
English Meaning: A risk has worked out successfully.
Hindi Meaning: जोखिम सफल होना।
Example: His gamble paid off when his new product became a hit.
उसका जोखिम सफल रहा जब उसका नया product मशहूर हो गया।
- Go all in
English Meaning: To risk everything on one chance or effort.
Hindi Meaning: पूरी हिम्मत और अपना सब कुछ किसी चीज़ में लगाना।
Example: Rahul went all in by investing all his savings in his startup.
राहुल ने अपनी सारी बचत startup में लगा दी।
- Go for broke
English Meaning: To risk everything in order to succeed.
Hindi Meaning: जीत के लिए सब कुछ दांव पर लगाना।
Example: She went for broke and gave a speech that could make or break her career.
उसने सब कुछ दांव पर लगाया और ऐसा भाषण दिया जिससे उसका करियर या तो बन सकता था या बिगड़ सकता था।
- Put your head on the block
English Meaning: To take a big risk, often by standing up for something.
Hindi Meaning: खतरे में खुद को डालना।
Example: The manager put his head on the block by defending his unpopular decision.
मैनेजर ने अपने फैसले का समर्थन करके खुद को खतरे में डाल दिया।
- Lay something on the line
English Meaning: To risk something valuable.
Hindi Meaning: किसी कीमती चीज़ को खतरे में डालना।
Example: He laid his reputation on the line by promising to finish the project on time.
उसने project समय पर पूरा करने का वादा करके अपनी इज़्ज़त खतरे में डाल दी।
- Nothing ventured, nothing gained
English Meaning: If you don’t try, you won’t achieve anything.
Hindi Meaning: कोशिश किए बिना कामयाबी नहीं मिलती।
Example: She applied for the scholarship even though it was tough, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
उसने scholarship के लिए आवेदन किया, भले ही मुश्किल था लेकिन कोशिश किए बिना कामयाबी नहीं मिलती।
- Play chicken
English Meaning: To risk a dangerous situation to see who gives up first.
Hindi Meaning: खतरनाक स्थिति में जोखिम लेना यह देखने के लिए कि कौन हारता है।
Example: Two drivers played chicken by racing towards each other on a narrow road.
दो ड्राइवर ने एक पतली सी सड़क पर तेजी से गाड़ी दौड़ाकर ये देखा कि कौन पहले रुकेगा।
- Pull a stunt
English Meaning: To do something risky or clever to get attention.
Hindi Meaning: ध्यान अपनी ओर खींचने के लिए कोई जोखिम भरा काम करना।
Example: He pulled a stunt by jumping off the roof to impress his friends.
उसने अपने दोस्तों को प्रभावित करने के लिए छत से कूदकर सबका ध्यान अपनी ओर खींचा।
- Risk your neck
English Meaning: To expose yourself to danger.
Hindi Meaning: खुद को खतरे में डालना।
Example: The firefighter risked his neck to save the child from the burning house.
Firefighters ने बच्चे को जलते घर से बचाने के लिए खुद को खतरे में डाल दिया।
- Run a risk
English Meaning: To do something that might have a bad result.
Hindi Meaning: जोखिम लेना।
Example: If you drive fast, you run a risk of accidents.
अगर आप तेज गाडी चलाते हैं, तो आपको दुर्घटना का जोखिम होता है।
- Sail close to the wind
English Meaning: To do something risky or almost illegal.
Hindi Meaning: जोखिम भरा या गैरक़ानून काम करना।
Example: By sharing confidential information, he was sailing close to the wind.
गोपनीय जानकारी share करके वह जोखिम भरा काम कर रहा था।
- Tempt fate
English Meaning: To do something that might bring bad luck or danger.
Hindi Meaning: बदकिस्मती या खतरे को बुलावा देना।
Example: Walking alone in the dark alley at night is tempting fate.
रात को अकेले अंधेरे रास्ते पर चलना बदकिस्मती को बुलवा देना है।
- Up the ante
English Meaning: To increase the risk or stake in a situation.
Hindi Meaning: दांव या जोखिम बढ़ाना।
Example: The company upped the ante by investing more money in the new project.
Company ने नए project में ज़्यादा पैसा लगाकर जोखिम बढ़ा दिया।
- Venture on something
English Meaning: To take a risk and try something new.
Hindi Meaning: नया और जोखिम भरा काम करना।
Example: She ventured on starting a new business despite the uncertainties.
उसने खतरा होने के बावजूद नया व्यापार शुरू करने का जोखिम लिया।
Conclusion
Using idioms and phrases for taking risks is a great way to express yourself more vividly and confidently in English. These risk idioms and phrases let you share your experiences and feelings about uncertainty in a lively way. Remember, practice makes perfect. Try using these idioms in your everyday talks and writings, and you’ll notice a big difference in how you communicate. Keep exploring and learning idioms about risk taking, and soon they will become a natural part of your spoken English. If you want to work on your spoken English skills you can join a spoken English course online.
Fill in the Gaps Exercise
Here is a fill-in-the-blanks type exercise using idioms and phrases about risk-taking.
- When she was desperate, she knew that __________, she would try anything to get help.
- Starting a new business without any experience is really __________.
- She didn’t know if her plan would work, but she decided to __________ anyway.
- Talking about politics at the dinner table felt like __________, it could cause a fight.
- The championship final was __________ because both teams were playing their best.
- When you have __________, you must be very careful about your decisions.
- He __________ by suggesting a completely new way of doing things.
- Climbing that mountain without gear is like __________ with death.
- Firefighters often __________ to save lives.
- Driving fast on slippery roads is like __________, you could end up hurt.
Answers
- a drowning man will clutch at a straw
- take a calculated risk
- take a gamble
- skate on thin ice
- high-stakes
- a lot to lose
- stuck your neck out
- dicing with death
- risk life and limb
- taking your life in your hands
