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

The bill would instruct drillers to set aside more money to plug their wells, authorize regulators to block risky sales to companies that would be unlikely to afford to clean up their wells and implement a buffer zone between wells and hospitals, schools, homes and other buildings. —Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 24 June 2024

Temperatures are already soaring in many parts of the nation and around the world, and high heat has the potential to make any hike risky — and even deadly. —Melanie Radzicki McManus, CNN, 22 June 2024

McDonald lost between $30 million and $40 million after taking a risky short position that bet against the U.S. economy in the wake of the 2020 presidential election, prosecutors said. —Caroline Petrow-Cohen, Los Angeles Times, 21 June 2024

Researchers think this could be a potentially risky situation, especially for those with existing medical conditions. —Kristen Fischer, Health, 21 June 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