risky
Americanadjective
adjective
Usage
What does risky mean? Risky describes something that involves risk or hazards, as in Walking a tightrope without a net below is risky. Risky is almost always used to describe an action taken that could lead to negative consequences, such as when you decide not to study for your final exams. Example: Working as a firefighter is a risky but worthwhile job.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of risky
Explanation
Risky things are a little bit dangerous. It would be risky for you to attempt to hike up a mountain in the wintertime without the proper gear. Physically hazardous things are risky, like a risky sky diving trick or a risky airplane landing attempt in high winds. It can also be risky to do something that makes you feel vulnerable, like telling someone how much you like them, or reading your poem in front of an audience. People commonly talk about money using risky too: "I think your brother's food truck would be a risky investment."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“It may be easy to look through a single price shock such as tariffs, but it may be more risky to look through a series of positive price shocks,” Waller said.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
I’m worried I may not be diversified enough and may fare better selling and redistributing into less risky index funds.
From MarketWatch • May 22, 2026
Investing in the AI boom seems risky, but Cummins is well-acquainted with business cycles.
From Barron's • May 21, 2026
"Forcing a regime change would be too risky for that," he added.
From BBC • May 21, 2026
Each step along the way is risky, because the enemy’s counterintelligence officers often notice some little slip that leads to capture.
From "George Washington, Spymaster" by Thomas B. Allen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
