Risky

How to spell risky

5 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce risky

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does risky mean?

1. adjectiveInvolving the possibility of loss, harm, or failure.

Risky in a sentence

• Investing your whole pension in one company is far too risky.

• Driving on bald tyres in heavy rain is a risky decision.

Where does risky come from?

Language of origin: French

The base noun 'risk' came into English in the early 1600s from the French 'risque', which itself was borrowed from the Italian 'risco' or 'rischio', meaning a danger or hazard. The deeper origin is debated, but many trace it to the Latin verb 'resecare', meaning 'to cut off', possibly through the idea of a sharp rock or reef that could cut into a ship's hull and threaten its cargo. Mercantile and maritime trade carried the word across Europe, since merchants constantly weighed the danger of losing goods at sea. The adjective 'risky' is a later, purely English formation, simply adding the everyday suffix '-y' to 'risk' to mean 'full of danger'. Note the spelling drops the silent French 'que' entirely; the rival form 'risqué', with its accent, split off to mean 'sexually suggestive' and is a different word.

How the word is built

• risk (danger of loss or harm)
• -y (adjective suffix meaning 'characterised by')