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What does "run a much higher risk" mean? Is it a common expression?

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Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

"Run a risk", sometimes "run the risk", of something is a very common idiom. It is used to mean that you subject yourself to a particular chance or a high possibility of having a negative or unfortunate outcome because of some action or decision you make. In other words it means to take a chance that something, usually bad, will happen. Adding "much higher" is simply used to emphasize that there's a really high chance of the negative/bad outcome. Usually it is used when the "risk" of something already exists, like there is always a risk you might cut yourself with a knife, however your action or inaction is making that "risk" even more possible. "Run a risk" with the article "a" is when you're talking about it in general and unspecified, or in terms of degree, such as "much higher." "Run the risk" with the article "the" is used for specific and significant risks. "Run the risk of [something]" is most commonly used! Ex: If you don't evaluate the process, you may run a risk. => general; we don't know what kind of risk. Ex: I don't want to run the risk of losing my job. => A specific risk is mentioned Ex: If you don't study, you run a much higher risk of failing the exam. => the degree of risk is mentioned

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