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

Waiting, however, can be risky, especially with an investment like gold, in which the price changes continuously throughout the day. —Matt Richardson, CBS News, 17 June 2026

Traditional long-range weapons would still be used for deep strikes, while autonomous units handle risky frontline battles. —Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 17 June 2026

Engaging in what sociologist Staci Newmahr calls edgework, or risky behavior that transgresses social boundaries with another human, produces intimacy. —Literary Hub, 17 June 2026

In one of them he was seen hanging from the edge of a rocky cliff using his bare hands, his legs dangling toward a steep slope in a risky performance without safety equipment. —CNN Money, 16 June 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