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

Still, sending B-52s on such a mission would undoubtedly have proven much more risky than using the low-observable B-2s. —Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 4 July 2025

This is a man in the final quarter of his life, opening up the drawer of songs too painful, too weird, or too risky to release. —arkansasonline.com, 3 July 2025

Some steps are automated, such as cutting paper and rolling it into shells or stacking tubes to form casings, but others, such as loading powder into the tubes, have to be done by hand because the work is so delicate and risky. —Peter Guo, NBC news, 3 July 2025

As a result, pre-workout can be risky for people with hypertension or other cardiovascular conditions. —Kathleen Ferraro, Verywell Health, 2 July 2025