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

Although the timing of when to lower interest rates is a delicate balance, Bostic said waiting to cut rates is risky. —Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2024

And because the surgery is inherently very risky and my symptoms aren’t bad currently, my doctors think that taking it right out could potentially do more harm than good. —Erica Sloan, SELF, 14 Aug. 2024

Overconfidence, because big successes make executives take bets that are too risky. —Matthew Herper, STAT, 14 Aug. 2024

Cohasset is located in an extremely risky part of the state; First Street Foundation’s models put it at severe fire risk, and predict that 100 percent of the structures in the area will be threatened in the next 30 years. —Caroline Mimbs Nyce, The Atlantic, 12 Aug. 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