precariouspre‧car‧i‧ous /prɪˈkeəriəs $ -ˈker-/ adjective 
Her health remained precarious, despite the treatment. the company’s precarious financial position2likely to fall, or likely to cause someone to fall: a precarious mountain trail—precariously adverb: a cup of tea balanced precariously on her knee—precariousness noun [uncountable]
WORD ORIGINprecarious
Origin:
1600-1700 Latin precarius ‘got by asking, uncertain’EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- a precarious peace
- Are you sure he's safe on that ladder? It looks very precarious up there.
- His political position has become extremely precarious.
- Levin is in a precarious state of health.
- No one would lend money to a company in such a precarious position.
- The bottle was in a precarious position on the edge of the table.
- The typical peasant farmer has a precarious existence, at the mercy of flood, disease and famine.
- We had to cross a precarious rope bridge.
- Grégoire was now hemmed in by the tiny precarious wine table.
- In his precarious state he became a friend of Pocahontas, daughter of Powhatan.
- Mary Mara makes the volatile Ruth a mainspring of precarious tension, capable of a solitary three-way argument over a peanut-butter sandwich.
- The living conditions of many of these migrants in illegal squatter settlements is often precarious.
- The path down to the beach was a precarious one, tiny steps hewn out of the sheer rock face.
- The release of the individual from accountability lays a precarious basis for a new democratic political culture.
Longman Language Activatorunsteady and likely to fall
someone who is unsteady is unable to balance properly, for example because of illness, old age or too much alcohol: · For a few moments he was pale and unsteady but his colour gradually returned.· He walked with the unsteady gait of an old man.unsteady on your feet: · She'll be a little unsteady on her feet until the anaesthetic wears off.
something that is unstable is unsteady because it is too big for the thing supporting it or not properly fastened to something, so that it is dangerous: · That scaffolding looks unstable - get all the building workers off the site immediately.
not safe and likely to fall down - use this especially about things or people that are in high places: · The bottle was in a precarious position on the edge of the table.· Are you sure he's safe on that ladder? It looks very precarious up there.
involving risk involving a risk: · It's always risky leaving your car out on the street overnight.· Being self-employed is much more risky than being a wage earner.· Risky investments can offer high yields, but also the possibility of greater losses.risky to do something: · The experiments would be too risky to perform on humans.
risks that are not necessary and that could cause harm or serious problems: · Using humor in a job interview is a dangerous thing - you never know how the interviewer will react.· Women felt that complaining about sexual harrassment was dangerous, as there was always the threat of losing their jobs.it is dangerous to do something: · It is dangerous to assume that share prices will continue to rise.
an action that is foolhardy involves so much risk that someone seems stupid for trying it: · It was foolhardy to take the plane up alone, with so little flying experience.· The country was in such huge debt that any spending proposals looked foolhardy.· I drove to the hospital at a foolhardy speed, arriving just after my wife.
something that is high-risk involves a lot of risk, but if you choose to do it and it is successful, you will have very good results: · It was a high-risk strategy to attack with such a small number of planes, but it was brilliantly successful.· a high-risk investment
something risky that you do because you hope that it will succeed and that you will gain something from it: · A gamble by the quarterback on the final play allowed them to score.· Changing jobs is always a gamble, but the opportunity looks good.a gamble pays off (=it is successful): · Despite the serious doubts of his advisors, the President's gamble paid off.
informal involving a serious risk that things will go wrong: · It's too dicey to base this policy on what might happen in the coming year.· Taking the mountain road is always a bit dicey at this time of year.
involving a serious possibility of failure or loss: · No one would lend money to a company in such a precarious position.· The typical peasant farmer has a precarious existence, at the mercy of flood, disease and famine.· His political position has become extremely precarious.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY the company’s precarious financial position a cup of tea balanced precariously on her kneeCOLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
1a precarious situation or state is one which may very easily or quickly become worse: the company’s precarious financial position a cup of tea balanced precariously on her knee (=only just managing to live)· The islanders, who rely solely on the sea to provide food, have a precarious existence.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· Her existence is more precarious than most.· Now that balancing act has become more precarious than ever.· Charles's position was far more precarious.· And his complex emotional relationship with Elizabeth, which I had but glimpsed, made the situation that much more precarious.· The market system holds out opportunities for the peasant, but it also makes his situation more precarious.
NOUN· Harsh repression firmly put it down, outlaws taking as usual to a scattered and precarious existence in the Weald.· Slowly the rhythm returned again and I eased my precarious existence up the river.· In essence the surrealist quandary minors the avant-garde's precarious existence.· On both sides some artists lived a precarious existence while their more successful colleagues lived well.· For centuries, their descendants led a harsh and precarious existence, relying heavily on the sea to provide food.
· In some countries the drive for rugby excellence pushed student rugby into a precarious position.· Alive, but in a very precarious position.· The result was seen as having strengthened the somewhat precarious position of Prime Minster Toshiki Kaifu within the party.· It was a long, tense moment as they adjusted the ropes and wrestled with the banner in their precarious position.· The rigger was in the more precarious position.
· The next restoration project will be of the melodramatic pyramid memorial to Canova, which is in a dangerously precarious state.· We find intelligence and life spooky because they maintain a precarious state far from equilibrium.· The motor trade is still in a very precarious state, with many dealers just treading water and others going bust.· In his precarious state he became a friend of Pocahontas, daughter of Powhatan.· In the 1700S, when science itself was new, most subjects were in this precarious state.
Her health remained precarious, despite the treatment. the company’s precarious financial position2likely to fall, or likely to cause someone to fall: a precarious mountain trail—precariously adverb: a cup of tea balanced precariously on her knee—precariousness noun [uncountable]