Related Searches
Nearby Words
s
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dependent on the will or pleasure of another; liable to be withdrawn or lost at the will of another: He held a precarious tenure under an arbitrary administration.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
EXPANDSynonyms
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. 2012.
Cite This Source
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source
|
Link To precarious
:10
:09
:08
:07
:06
:05
:04
:03
:02
:01
Precarious
is a GRE word you need to know.
So is insolvent. Does it mean:
| to soften or separate into parts by steeping in a liquid |
| unable to satisfy creditors or discharge liabilities, either because liabilities exceed assets or because of inability to pay debts as they mature |
Example Sentences
- By focusing on the nation's precarious origins, the poem bolstered nationalism at a time when it was sorely needed.
- Japan owes its lively seismic existence to its precarious geologic setting.
- When told of the boys' precarious position, they wanted to help — but adopting a teenage war orphan seemed like a huge step.
Collins
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
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
Cite This Source
Cite This Source
Word Dynamo By Dictionary.com
Dictionary.com, LLC. Copyright © 2012. All rights reserved.