risky

adjective

ˈri-skē 

riskier; riskiest

: involving the possibility of risk or danger : hazardous

riskiness noun

Synonyms of risky

• dangerous
• hazardous
• perilous
• serious

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

While waiting isn't necessarily risky, many expecting parents still want care sooner. —NPR, 12 Nov. 2025

When investors borrow cheaply to chase higher returns elsewhere, liquidity is often amplified — fueling rallies in risky assets that can just as quickly unravel when volatility spikes. —Anya Andrianova, Fortune, 11 Nov. 2025

Employees who dive into controversial topics and engage in risky behavior online are playing with fire ‒ and need to carefully and proactively consider the bigger picture. —Johnny C. Taylor Jr, USA Today, 11 Nov. 2025

That’s got all the enticing ripples of profundity and still, to make a manifesto of it is risky. —Sara Holdren, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1813, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing risky

• risky business
• risky move

Rhymes for risky

• frisky
• whiskey
• whisky

Kids Definition

risky

adjective

ˈris-kē 

riskier; riskiest

: having or bringing risk : dangerous