Synonyms of risky

risky

adjective

ˈri-skē 

as in dangerous

involving potential loss or injury

a risky new adventure

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dangerous
• hazardous
• perilous
• serious
• unsafe
• precarious
• treacherous
• threatening
• menacing
• unhealthy
• venturesome
• random
• grave
• grievous
• uncertain
• parlous
• jeopardizing
• fatal
• destructive
• detrimental
• harmful
• unpleasant
• bad
• dicey
• insecure
• adverse
• haphazard
• lethal
• sickening
• chance
• deadly
• ugly
• injurious
• distressing
• nasty
• fell
• murderous
• deleterious
• pernicious
• ultrahazardous
• malignant
• hurtful
• wicked
• evil
• killer
• noxious
• inimical
• fateful
• dire
• baneful
• ill
• mortal
• baleful
• deathly
• pestilent

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• safe
• harmless
• innocuous
• innocent
• beneficial
• nonthreatening
• nonhazardous
• good
• advantageous
• unthreatening
• ultrasafe

Synonym Chooser

How is the word risky distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of risky are dangerous, hazardous, perilous, and precarious. While all these words mean "bringing or involving the chance of loss or injury," risky often applies to a known and accepted danger.

shied away from risky investments

When can dangerous be used instead of risky?

While the synonyms dangerous and risky are close in meaning, dangerous applies to something that may cause harm or loss unless dealt with carefully.

soldiers on a dangerous mission

When could hazardous be used to replace risky?

Although the words hazardous and risky have much in common, hazardous implies great and continuous risk of harm or failure.

claims that smoking is hazardous to your health

When would perilous be a good substitute for risky?

The words perilous and risky can be used in similar contexts, but perilous strongly implies the immediacy of danger.

perilous mountain roads

When might precarious be a better fit than risky?

While in some cases nearly identical to risky, precarious suggests both insecurity and uncertainty.

earned a precarious living by gambling

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of risky

Recently, deadly fires in Paradise, Marshall, Lahaina, and Los Angeles share the same message for residents living in or close to risky fire-prone areas. — Dana Taylor, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026

Avalanche safety courses taught people to cross risky sections of a mountain one at a time. — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 10 Aug. 2026

Norton Mobile Security helps defend against everyday threats like scam texts, malicious apps, unsafe websites, and risky Wi-Fi networks. — Stackcommerce Team, PC Magazine, 10 Aug. 2026

With fracking — which is already outlawed on offshore platforms in California waters, and is widely viewed as an environmentally degrading and often risky process — Gilda’s production would jump to about 4,000 barrels a day. — Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 9 Aug. 2026