dicey

adjective

dic·​ey ˈdī-sē How to pronounce dicey (audio)
dicier; diciest
: risky, unpredictable
a dicey proposition
dicey weather

Example Sentences

Starting a business can be quite a dicey proposition. The weather looks a little dicey this morning. I hope it doesn't rain.
Recent Examples on the Web Those water temps are very dicey and don’t allow for mistakes. D'arcy Egan, cleveland, 9 Dec. 2022 Defining the limits of personhood is especially dicey due to its far-reaching consequences. Nancy S. Jecker, The Conversation, 13 May 2022 Here’s a hypothetical scenario which attests to just how dicey this could get. Fox News, 8 Dec. 2022 These issues have become a third rail of politics nationwide because of their dicey civil rights implications — locking someone up against their will in a mental health facility is the stuff of horror movies, not successful political campaigns. Anita Chabriacolumnist, Los Angeles Times, 2 Dec. 2022 The legislation is likely to have some opposition, setting up a potentially dicey situation in the 50-50 split Senate for passage. Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 29 Nov. 2022 What looked like a fairly routine win for USF on Tuesday became quite dicey, but the Dons nevertheless remained unbeaten. Steve Kroner, San Francisco Chronicle, 22 Nov. 2022 Some dicey moments, but the Lasers indeed get their touchdown to cap the first series of this game, one that chewed up half the first quarter clock. Jr Radcliffe, Journal Sentinel, 18 Nov. 2022 The Overland concept has a self-recovery winch from Warn and a set of 275/65R-18 Toyo Open Country MT tires, which should be enough to get out of most dicey situations. Jack Fitzgerald, Car and Driver, 1 Nov. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dicey.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

dice entry 1 + -y

First Known Use

1950, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dicey was in 1950

Dictionary Entries Near dicey

Cite this Entry

“Dicey.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dicey. Accessed 1 Apr. 2023.

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