# risky

/ˈɹɪski/ (US) · /ɹˈɪski/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/risky
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. dangerous or uncertain

adjective · CEFR B1

involving a chance that something bad or dangerous will happen.

For teachers: involving a high degree of risk or potential for failure, loss, or injury.

- Investing all your money in one small company is very risky.
- The surgeons decided that the procedure was too risky given the patient's advanced age and weakened heart condition.

Usage: often used with the verb 'to be' or 'to seem'.

### 2. suggestive or bold

adjective · CEFR C1 · Informal

describes something that is slightly shocking because it relates to sex.

For teachers: bordering on impropriety or indecency, particularly in a sexual context; often a variant spelling of 'risqué'.

- He told a risky joke that made some people in the office feel uncomfortable.
- The comedian's routine was considered quite risky for a daytime television audience, leading to several viewer complaints.

Usage: In formal writing, the French spelling 'risqué' is preferred for this specific meaning.

Teaching tip: Learners should be aware that 'risky' usually means dangerous, while this sense is specifically about social or sexual boundaries.

## Examples

- Investing all your money in one company is risky.
- The mountain climbers decided that continuing the ascent in such heavy fog was too risky for the team.
- While the startup's strategy appeared risky to conservative investors, the founders believed the potential market share justified the high level of initial exposure.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.