risky

risky — adjective

1. Something that is risky may cause harm, loss, or failure, but people sometimes d

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

Something that is risky may cause harm, loss, or failure, but people sometimes do it anyway because they hope for a good result.

Example

Investing all your money in one company is a risky move.

collocation: risky move / risky decision

Defne knew the climb was risky, but she wanted to reach the top before sunset.

Common collocations
  • risky decision
  • risky move
  • risky investment
  • risky business
  • risky strategy
  • too risky
  • highly risky
  • extremely risky
  • seem risky
  • consider something risky
  • prove risky
Synonyms
  • dangerous

    stronger than 'risky' — suggests harm is more certain rather than just possible

  • hazardous

    more formal; typically used for specific activities, materials, or working conditions

  • dicey

    informal, British English; used in casual conversation for uncertain situations

  • unsafe

    focuses on lack of physical protection rather than calculated risk-taking

Antonyms
  • safe

    no chance of harm or loss

  • secure

    protected from risk, especially financial

  • certain

    sure to happen, no risk involved

Grammar Patterns

be + risky + to-infinitive

It + be + risky + for + someone + to + infinitive

Usage Note

Subject is usually a decision, action, or situation, not a person. Common patterns include 'It + be + risky + to-infinitive' and 'something + be + risky'. Frequently modifies: decision, move, investment, business, strategy.

Common Mistakes

He is risky to go alone at night.
It is risky for him to go alone at night.
Use 'It is risky for [someone] to [do something]', not '[someone] is risky to [do something]'.
Swimming in this river is dangerous, not risky.
Swimming in this river is risky
there might be strong currents, but many people do it anyway.' — 'Dangerous' suggests certain harm; 'risky' suggests a chance of harm that someone may choose to take.

Word family

  • risk
    nounB1
  • risk
    verbB1
  • riskier
    adjectiveB1
  • riskiest
    adjectiveB1
  • riskily
    adverbC1
  • riskiness
    nounC1
  • risk-taking
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Risky, dangerous, hazardous, dicey, and unsafe all describe situations with potential harm, but they differ in degree and usage. Risky suggests a calculated chance of loss or failure, often taken willingly for potential gain. Dangerous implies more certain and severe harm, with less element of choice. Hazardous is more formal and typically describes specific substances, conditions, or activities that pose a known risk — for example, hazardous waste or hazardous working conditions. Dicey is informal and British, used in casual conversation for unpredictable situations. Unsafe focuses on lack of protection or security against harm. For example: 'Starting a business is risky, but driving on icy roads is dangerous.' 'The wiring in that old house is unsafe.' 'The weather looks dicey, so we should stay home.'

risky ↗dangerous ↗hazardous ↗diceyunsafe ↗

Etymology

ItalianFrenchEnglish

Formed from the noun 'risk' plus the suffix '-y', which turns nouns into adjectives meaning 'having the quality of'. The noun 'risk' entered English in the 17th century from French 'risque', which came from Italian 'risco', meaning 'danger' or 'peril'. The modern spelling was influenced by the French form.