precarious
Use Precarious in a sentence
i adjective
1.
dependent on circumstances beyond one's control; uncertain; unstable; insecure: a precarious livelihood.
2.
dependent on the will or pleasure of another; liable to be withdrawn or lost at the will of another: He held a precarious tenure under an arbitrary administration.
3.
exposed to or involving danger; dangerous; perilous; risky: the precarious life of an underseas diver.
4.
having insufficient, little, or no foundation: a precarious assumption.
Related forms
pre·car·i·ous·ly, adverb
pre·car·i·ous·ness, noun
su·per·pre·car·i·ous, adjective
su·per·pre·car·i·ous·ly, adverb
su·per·pre·car·i·ous·ness, noun
Synonyms
1. unsure, unsteady. See uncertain. 2. doubtful, dubious, unreliable, undependable. 3. hazardous. 4. groundless, baseless, unfounded.
1. unsure, unsteady. See uncertain. 2. doubtful, dubious, unreliable, undependable. 3. hazardous. 4. groundless, baseless, unfounded.
Antonyms
1. secure. 2. reliable. 3. safe. 4. well-founded.
1. secure. 2. reliable. 3. safe. 4. well-founded.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
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Link To precarious
00:10
Precarious
is a GRE word you need to know.
So is feign. Does it mean:
| to pretend |
| to rub or sprinkle on; apply an unguent, ointment, or oily liquid to. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
precarious (prɪˈkɛərɪəs) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —adj | |
| 1. | liable to failure or catastrophe; insecure; perilous |
| 2. | archaic dependent on another's will |
| [C17: from Latin precārius obtained by begging (hence, dependent on another's will), from prex | |
| pre'cariously | |
| —adv | |
| pre'cariousness | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
precarious
1646, a legal word, "held through the favor of another," from L. precarius "obtained by asking or praying," from prex (gen. precis) "entreaty, prayer." Notion of "dependent on the will of another" led to sense "risky, dangerous, uncertain" (1687).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
Still, if the island's health depends on the fossa's brutal care, then that is a precarious balance indeed.
Instead, the fate of the plan is more precarious than ever.
My own state of health is certainly precarious enough.
Haynes climbed the spinning, rocking structure to a perilous and precarious perch high on the scaffolding.
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