dicey

American  

[dahy-see] / ˈdaɪ si /

adjective

Informal.

dicier, diciest

1. unpredictable; risky; uncertain.

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dicey British  

/ ˈdaɪsɪ /

adjective

1. difficult or dangerous; risky; tricky

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Etymology

Origin of dicey

First recorded in 1935–40; dice + -ey ¹

Explanation

Something that's dicey is unpredictable — and it may even be risky or downright dangerous. Bringing up controversial subjects like politics at Thanksgiving dinner with your relatives can be dicey. If you fix your motorcycle yourself, you may feel like it's a pretty dicey vehicle for riding on the highway, and when you're not at all sure how you did on your biology final, you might say, "Phew, that was dicey." Dicey is an informal word that comes from the idea of the unknown outcome of "a roll of the dice," from aviator's jargon around 1940.

Example Sentences

Last week, we asked you to tell us about your biggest money mistakes — and you opened up about everything from dicey stock-market bets to spending habits that got out of control.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026

So with things getting dicey in north London, we're looking at the most surprising clubs to drop since the competition began in 1992.

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026

But the bill’s road to becoming law still looks dicey.

From Barron's • Mar. 11, 2026

And these are a little dicey to talk about, because these are unverified tips.

From Slate • Feb. 4, 2026

Sometimes I get a tummy ache after breakfast, which makes lunch dicey, and there’s no way to get through the shift without at least one major refueling.

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich

Related Words

• ticklish
• tricky
• uncertain
• unpredictable