risky

adjective

ˈri-skē 

riskier; riskiest

: attended with risk or danger : hazardous

riskiness noun

Synonyms

• dangerous
• grave
• grievous
• hazardous
• jeopardizing
• menacing
• parlous
• perilous
• serious
• threatening
• unhealthy
• unsafe
• venturesome

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

The criminal case against Mr. Weinstein had been viewed as fragile since the day it was filed, and prosecutors were believed to have taken risky, boundary-pushing bets to see it through. —Nicole Hong, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2024

But noncompetes make entrepreneurship more costly, more risky, and more penalizing for women. —Matt Marx, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2024

In a quieter, riskier moment, Malik and Eric lie on the floor of an empty apartment space and stare at the oppressive vault of the ceiling, willing it, in a hallucinatory reverie, into a starry vision of freedom. —Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 22 Apr. 2024

Russia’s future forks: one path is a risky drift into a deeper Chinese embrace, the other an against-the-odds return to Europe. —Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 18 Apr. 2024

This is her land, but planting anything here would be risky. —Eyder Peralta, NPR, 18 Apr. 2024

Last year, Netflix made a particularly risky bet by pushing users who share passwords to create their own accounts — but that paid off. —Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2024

Johnson’s risky plan led a second Republican to call for his resignation on Tuesday. —Nik Popli, TIME, 16 Apr. 2024

Nearly identical shares of voters also say both Mr. Trump and Mr. Biden would be a risky choice for the country. —Ruth Igielnik, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1813, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing risky

• risky business
• risky move

Kids Definition

risky

adjective

ˈris-kē 

riskier; riskiest

: having or bringing risk : dangerous