daring
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daring / risky
An action, statement, or plan that is bold and risky and may potentially cause negative consequences or rejection. It describes something that departs from the safe or usual norm.
Es war eine gewagte Strategie, alles auf eine Karte zu setzen, aber sie hat sich ausgezahlt.
It was a daring strategy to put everything on one card, but it paid off.
'Gewagt' (daring/risky) is the past participle of the verb 'wagen' (to risk something, to dare). A 'gewagte Handlung' (daring action) is therefore literally an action that someone has 'gewagt' (dared) or 'riskiert' (risked).
Er hat es gewagt, den Chef direkt zu kritisieren.
He dared to criticize the boss directly.
'Gewagt' (daringly/riskily) can also be used as an adverb to modify a verb or another adjective. It then describes the manner of an action as risky or provocative.
Sie hat ihre Meinung sehr gewagt formuliert.
She phrased her opinion very daringly.
In the meaning of 'riskant' (risky), 'gewagt' (daring/risky) is often combined with abstract nouns that describe a strategy or idea. Typical examples are: 'eine gewagte These' (a daring thesis), 'ein gewagter Plan' (a daring plan), 'eine gewagte Aussage' (a daring statement), or 'eine gewagte Investition' (a risky investment).
Seine gewagte These wurde in der Fachwelt kontrovers diskutiert.
His daring thesis was controversially discussed in the academic world.
When it is about provocation or breaking norms, 'gewagt' (daring/provocative) often appears with nouns from the areas of fashion, humor, or art. Common examples are: 'ein gewagtes Kleid' (a daring dress), 'ein gewagter Witz' (a daring joke), or 'ein gewagtes Foto' (a daring photo).
Er ist für seine gewagten Witze bekannt, die nicht jeder lustig findet.
He is known for his daring jokes, which not everyone finds funny.
sure / safe
'sicher' and 'gewagt' both describe how much risk there is in a situation. 'sicher' fits when something is protected or there is hardly any danger. 'gewagt' fits when a plan or action is bold but can also go wrong. So the contrast is: little risk with 'sicher', clear risk with 'gewagt'.
Der Plan ist gewagt, weil wir nur zwei Tage Zeit haben.
The plan is risky because we only have two days.
Nach der Reparatur ist die Brücke wieder sicher.
After the repair, the bridge is safe again.