risky
Americanadjective
-
riskier,
comparative
-
riskiest
superlative
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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
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.
See Examples For:
Here is a breakdown of some hard questions the investor should ask, and other steps he should take while considering a very risky move.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
Bankers advising data center developers on sales and capital raises said the backlash is causing some buyers to view infrastructure companies as a risky investment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
Jassim says posting the videos is risky both for herself and for the women concerned.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
Adding a risky, concentrated private investment to your broader stock portfolio is not necessarily the best way to diversify.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026
Because of the Immigration Act and the uncertain political situation in China, future travel back here will be risky.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
Demand for AI computing power also remains so high that even riskier companies have huge incentives to keep investing and finance their expenditures through whatever means possible.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
While junk bonds are generally riskier, their higher yields can provide some extra cushion when debt prices are falling.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026
Even Meta has had to offer more than 7 percent a year, while riskier cloud data center specialists have gone above 9 percent.
From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026
As a result, foreign money tends to leave riskier emerging market assets such as Indian equities and chase safer investments like US bonds when interest rates rise.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
It must be getting riskier and riskier to open the Chamber of Secrets, with the school so alert and suspicious.
From "Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets" by J. K. Rowling
Tom Cruise has dangled from cliffs, skyscrapers and planes, but oil magnate Digger Rockwell is his riskiest role in eons.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026
Financing the riskiest research, as CFF member Cam McLoud puts it, would provide a “royalty stream” should the research prove successful.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
"This was a high-stakes, high-wire return, perhaps the riskiest comeback in the history of showbusiness," McCormick continues, referring to her health condition.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
This is the riskiest part of the voyage and the state oil companies are now more willing to shoulder this burden.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026
He’d sleep deep in woods tonight, out of civilization, the riskiest part of the trip behind him.
From "Pax" by Sara Pennypacker
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
