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.

It's risky to buy a car without some good advice. We shouldn't go there. It's too risky. Teenagers often engage in risky behaviour.

Definition of risky adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

If an activity or action is risky, it is dangerous or likely to fail. Investing in airlines is a very risky business. It's risky to assume that we know what voters will be thinking in a year's time.

risky, adj. meanings, etymology, pronunciation and more in the Oxford English Dictionary

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025 risk•y (ris′ kē), adj., risk•i•er, risk•i•est. attended with or involving risk; hazardous: a risky undertaking.

(a person, thing etc which causes or could cause) danger or possible loss or injury.

RISKY definition: attended with or involving risk; hazardous. See examples of risky used in a sentence.

RISKY meaning: involving the possibility of something bad or unpleasant happening involving risk

Some common synonyms of risky are dangerous, hazardous, perilous, and precarious. While all these words mean "bringing or involving the chance of loss or injury," risky often applies to a …