precarious

adjective

pre·car·i·ous pri-ˈker-ē-əs How to pronounce precarious (audio)

: dependent on chance circumstances, unknown conditions, or uncertain developments

… forced to earn a precarious living as a door-to-door salesman.

Peter Ackroyd

Their wealth was precarious, liable to be seized by the sultan if they fell from favour …

Albert Hourani

… the resilience of our still-evolving planet, where life is always precarious but always tenacious.

Robert MacKenzie

: characterized by a lack of security or stability that threatens with danger

His balance looks precarious, and I try to talk him down …

Blake Morrison

In spite of his precarious emotional state, he wrote more than two dozen books …

Liesl Schillinger

At 82 years old, she was in precarious health and had respiratory problems.

Annabelle Olivier

… a downturn in food supply could tip a precarious balance.

Mary Cherry

If the condition of the biosphere is even half as precarious as the environmentalists suggest, then the twenty-first century must, of necessity, abandon the theory of value so lovingly displayed in the windows of Bloomingdale's.

Lewis H. Lapham

: dependent on uncertain premises : dubious

… the student of psychology who cares little for brilliant precarious generalizations …

Baltimore Medical Journal and Bulletin

archaic : depending on the will or pleasure of another

In rank and authority these officers seemed not inferior to the ancient proconsuls; but their station was dependent and precarious.

Edward Gibbon

Example Sentences

These states are corrupt and brutal. They are theocracies, or precarious autocracies, or secular totalitarian states: tyrannies all, deniers of freedom, republics of fear, enemies of civility and human flourishing.

Ramesh Ponnuru, National Review, 15 Oct. 2001 Such folks led a precarious existence, their homes routinely destroyed in pursuit of a scorched earth policy whenever Florence came under siege.

R. W. B. Lewis, Dante, 2001 She was the first baby he had ever held; he had thought it would be a precarious experience, shot through with fear of dropping something so precious and fragile, but no, in even the smallest infant there was an adhesive force, a something that actively fit your arms and hands, banishing the fear.

John Updike, The Afterlife, 1994 He earned a precarious livelihood by gambling. The strong wind almost knocked him off of his precarious perch on the edge of the cliff.

Recent Examples on the Web Reedus' already precarious position was certainly exacerbated by his rough and tumble medical history.

Dalton Ross, EW.com, 7 Sep. 2022 The rest of the season became a precarious series of tests as to whether those early problems had been corrected — and ultimately, the Buckeyes did not pass.

Nathan Baird, cleveland, 7 Sep. 2022 Further complicating the selection of the next target launch date is the precarious Florida weather.

Jackie Wattles, CNN, 6 Sep. 2022 The unexpected death of Bed, Bath & Beyond's former chief financial officer amid allegations of fraud against him raises further questions about the struggling retail chain and highlights its precarious finances.

Irina Ivanova, CBS News, 6 Sep. 2022 How many of these highly vulnerable minor leaguers are going to be willing to risk angering the people who hold their precarious futures in their hands?

Mitchell Nathanson, The Conversation, 5 Sep. 2022 Smithson knew the Great Salt Lake and the surrounding desert was a precarious, if not altogether hostile, environment for his ambitious art project.

Siobhan Reid, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Sep. 2022 For jewelers who’ve grown accustomed to traveling for work, being homebound is a precarious turn of events.

Daniel Miller, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2022 In a series of filings over the next year, DWAC repeatedly emphasized the precarious status of both Truth Social and TMTG.

Colin Lodewick, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2022 See More

precarious

adjective

as in dangerous

not safe, strong, or steady He earned a precarious livelihood by gambling. She was in a state of precarious health. The government is in a precarious position. The strong wind almost knocked him off of his precarious perch on the edge of the cliff.

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

dangerous
treacherous
risky
uncertain
hazardous
perilous
serious
menacing
unsafe
threatening
insecure
ill
dicey
unhealthy
jeopardizing
parlous
dire
grave
haphazard
bad
unpleasant
distressing
random
grievous
chance
sickening
fell
detrimental
venturesome
ugly
adverse
injurious
ultrahazardous
harmful
destructive
pernicious
deleterious
lethal
wicked
deadly
fatal
inimical
malignant
noxious
mortal
evil
hurtful
fateful
murderous
baneful
deathly
killer
nasty
baleful
pestilent

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

advantageous
good
beneficial
safe
innocuous
harmless
innocent
nonhazardous
unthreatening
nonthreatening
ultrasafe

Synonym Chooser

Some common synonyms of precarious are dangerous, hazardous, perilous, and risky. While all these words mean "bringing or involving the chance of loss or injury," precarious suggests both insecurity and uncertainty.

earned a precarious living by gambling

While in some cases nearly identical to precarious, dangerous applies to something that may cause harm or loss unless dealt with carefully.

soldiers on a dangerous mission

The words hazardous and precarious can be used in similar contexts, but hazardous implies great and continuous risk of harm or failure.

claims that smoking is hazardous to your health

The synonyms perilous and precarious are sometimes interchangeable, but perilous strongly implies the immediacy of danger.

perilous mountain roads

While the synonyms risky and precarious are close in meaning, risky often applies to a known and accepted danger.

shied away from risky investments

单词	precarious
释义	precarious adjective pre·car·i·ous pri-ˈker-ē-əs 1 a : dependent on chance circumstances, unknown conditions, or uncertain developments … forced to earn a precarious living as a door-to-door salesman. Peter Ackroyd Their wealth was precarious, liable to be seized by the sultan if they fell from favour … Albert Hourani … the resilience of our still-evolving planet, where life is always precarious but always tenacious. Robert MacKenzie b : characterized by a lack of security or stability that threatens with danger His balance looks precarious, and I try to talk him down … Blake Morrison In spite of his precarious emotional state, he wrote more than two dozen books … Liesl Schillinger At 82 years old, she was in precarious health and had respiratory problems. Annabelle Olivier … a downturn in food supply could tip a precarious balance. Mary Cherry If the condition of the biosphere is even half as precarious as the environmentalists suggest, then the twenty-first century must, of necessity, abandon the theory of value so lovingly displayed in the windows of Bloomingdale's. Lewis H. Lapham 2 : dependent on uncertain premises : dubious … the student of psychology who cares little for brilliant precarious generalizations … Baltimore Medical Journal and Bulletin 3 archaic : depending on the will or pleasure of another In rank and authority these officers seemed not inferior to the ancient proconsuls; but their station was dependent and precarious. Edward Gibbon Did you know? "This little happiness is so very precarious, that it wholly depends on the will of others." Joseph Addison, in a 1711 issue of Spectator magazine, couldn't have described the oldest sense of precarious more precisely—the original meaning of the word was "depending on the will or pleasure of another." Precarious comes from a Latin word meaning "obtained by entreaty," which itself is from the word for prayer, prex. Example Sentences These states are corrupt and brutal. They are theocracies, or precarious autocracies, or secular totalitarian states: tyrannies all, deniers of freedom, republics of fear, enemies of civility and human flourishing. Ramesh Ponnuru, National Review, 15 Oct. 2001 Such folks led a precarious existence, their homes routinely destroyed in pursuit of a scorched earth policy whenever Florence came under siege. R. W. B. Lewis, Dante, 2001 She was the first baby he had ever held; he had thought it would be a precarious experience, shot through with fear of dropping something so precious and fragile, but no, in even the smallest infant there was an adhesive force, a something that actively fit your arms and hands, banishing the fear. John Updike, The Afterlife, 1994 He earned a precarious livelihood by gambling. The strong wind almost knocked him off of his precarious perch on the edge of the cliff. Recent Examples on the Web Reedus' already precarious position was certainly exacerbated by his rough and tumble medical history. Dalton Ross, EW.com, 7 Sep. 2022 The rest of the season became a precarious series of tests as to whether those early problems had been corrected — and ultimately, the Buckeyes did not pass. Nathan Baird, cleveland, 7 Sep. 2022 Further complicating the selection of the next target launch date is the precarious Florida weather. Jackie Wattles, CNN, 6 Sep. 2022 The unexpected death of Bed, Bath & Beyond's former chief financial officer amid allegations of fraud against him raises further questions about the struggling retail chain and highlights its precarious finances. Irina Ivanova, CBS News, 6 Sep. 2022 How many of these highly vulnerable minor leaguers are going to be willing to risk angering the people who hold their precarious futures in their hands? Mitchell Nathanson, The Conversation, 5 Sep. 2022 Smithson knew the Great Salt Lake and the surrounding desert was a precarious, if not altogether hostile, environment for his ambitious art project. Siobhan Reid, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Sep. 2022 For jewelers who’ve grown accustomed to traveling for work, being homebound is a precarious turn of events. Daniel Miller, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2022 In a series of filings over the next year, DWAC repeatedly emphasized the precarious status of both Truth Social and TMTG. Colin Lodewick, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2022 See More Word History Etymology Latin precārius "given as a favor, depending on the pleasure or mercy of others, of questionable force or permanence, uncertain" + -ous — more at prayer entry 1 First Known Use 1626, in the meaning defined at sense 3 Kids Definition precarious adjective pre·car·i·ous pri-ˈker-ē-əs : not safe, strong, or steady precarious balance a precarious journey Legal Definition precarious adjective pre·car·i·ous pri-ˈkar-ē-əs : depending on the will or pleasure of another see also precarious possession at possession precarious adjective as in dangerous not safe, strong, or steady He earned a precarious livelihood by gambling. She was in a state of precarious health. The government is in a precarious position. The strong wind almost knocked him off of his precarious perch on the edge of the cliff. Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance dangerous treacherous risky uncertain hazardous perilous serious menacing unsafe threatening insecure ill dicey unhealthy jeopardizing parlous dire grave haphazard bad unpleasant distressing random grievous chance sickening fell detrimental venturesome ugly adverse injurious ultrahazardous harmful destructive pernicious deleterious lethal wicked deadly fatal inimical malignant noxious mortal evil hurtful fateful murderous baneful deathly killer nasty baleful pestilent Antonyms & Near Antonyms advantageous good beneficial safe innocuous harmless innocent nonhazardous unthreatening nonthreatening ultrasafe See More Synonym Chooser Some common synonyms of precarious are dangerous, hazardous, perilous, and risky. While all these words mean "bringing or involving the chance of loss or injury," precarious suggests both insecurity and uncertainty. earned a precarious living by gambling While in some cases nearly identical to precarious, dangerous applies to something that may cause harm or loss unless dealt with carefully. soldiers on a dangerous mission The words hazardous and precarious can be used in similar contexts, but hazardous implies great and continuous risk of harm or failure. claims that smoking is hazardous to your health The synonyms perilous and precarious are sometimes interchangeable, but perilous strongly implies the immediacy of danger. perilous mountain roads While the synonyms risky and precarious are close in meaning, risky often applies to a known and accepted danger. shied away from risky investments
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precarious

adjective

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Example Sentences

Word History

Kids Definition

adjective

Legal Definition

adjective

adjective

Synonym Chooser