chancy

adjective

ˈchan(t)-sē How to pronounce chancy (audio)
chancier; chanciest
Synonyms of chancynext
1
Scotland : bringing good luck : auspicious
2
: uncertain in outcome or prospect : risky
3
: occurring by chance : haphazard
chanciness noun

Examples of chancy in a Sentence

Building your own home is a chancy business. Opening a new restaurant can be chancy.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Lifelong recommendations based on studies of roughly 50 patients and for no longer than three months seem a bit chancy. — WSJ, 13 Sep. 2018 The early concerts have had a biting, chancy energy. — New York Times, 21 June 2018

Word History

Etymology

chance entry 1 + -y entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1522, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of chancy was circa 1522

Rhymes for chancy

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Cite this Entry

“Chancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chancy. Accessed 11 Mar. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on chancy

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for chancy

Nglish: Translation of chancy for Spanish Speakers

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