riskier; riskiest
: attended with risk or danger : hazardous
riskiness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for risky

dangerous, hazardous, precarious, perilous, risky mean bringing or involving the chance of loss or injury.

dangerous applies to something that may cause harm or loss unless dealt with carefully.

soldiers on a dangerous mission

hazardous implies great and continuous risk of harm or failure.

claims that smoking is hazardous to your health

precarious suggests both insecurity and uncertainty.

earned a precarious living by gambling

perilous strongly implies the immediacy of danger.

perilous mountain roads

risky often applies to a known and accepted danger.

shied away from risky investments

Examples of risky in a Sentence

Her plan is too risky.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Voyager is a risky but fruitful investment into a huge growth market, according to many analysts, who are counting on the company’s Starlab commercial space station as the ultimate upside opportunity for the firm. Pia Singh, CNBC, 7 July 2025 This represents a highly unorthodox and potentially risky approach to trade. Danielle Kurtzleben, NPR, 7 July 2025 Much of this inventory is now sitting idle on the market, as buyers steer away from a likely risky investment. Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 July 2025 For all of its allure, though, nostalgia is a tricky element for a restaurant to trade in, and a risky thing to rely on. Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 6 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for risky

Word History

First Known Use

1813, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of risky was in 1813

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Risky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/risky. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

risky

adjective
riskier; riskiest
: having or bringing risk : dangerous

More from Merriam-Webster on risky

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!