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

Dillman and his coconspirator used the funds to pay themselves and to make risky and speculative investments in other cryptocurrency ventures, authorities said, citing other evidence presented at the trial. — Jason Green, Mercury News, 25 Aug. 2026

The vote initially appeared politically risky for a Democrat who would eventually face reelection in a battleground state. — Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 2026

And just how risky is a tree with cracks or large amounts of mushrooms covering the trunk? — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2026

Luigi Mangione’s stunning eleventh-hour guilty plea to federal stalking charges is expected to send him to prison for decades, but the risky gambit might result in his release before his 60th birthday. — Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 22 Aug. 2026

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