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

Martin is leaning into a 50-state spending strategy that his supporters privately acknowledge is risky. —ABC News, 13 May 2026

Leaders still permit—and subsidize—construction in the riskiest places, while first responders are left to hold the line with aging engines, thin crews, and tactics designed for a milder past. —Literary Hub, 13 May 2026

When the sway gets too risky, the captain closes some of the outer decks. —Akash Kapur, New Yorker, 12 May 2026

Magic erasers are useful, but using them too often is risky. —Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 12 May 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