precipitous
Americanadjective
-
of the nature of or characterized by precipices.
a precipitous wall of rock.
-
extremely or impassably steep.
precipitous mountain trails.
- Synonyms:
- perpendicular, sheer, abrupt
adjective
-
resembling a precipice or characterized by precipices
-
very steep
-
hasty or precipitate
Usage
The use of precipitous to mean hasty is thought by some people to be incorrect
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of precipitous
1640–50; < obsolete French précipiteux; see precipitate, -ous
Explanation
A sharp, steep drop — whether it's in a stock price, a roller coaster, or a star's popularity — could be described as a precipitous one. Put simply, precipitous means perilously steep. Look closely and you'll spot most of the word precipice (a sheer, almost vertical cliff) in precipitous. Now imagine how you'd feel standing at the edge peering over, and you'll grasp the sense of impending danger that precipitous tends to imply. Precipitous declines in sales lead to bankruptcy. Precipitous mountainside hiking trails are not for the acrophobic. It can describe an ascent, but precipitous is most often used for things going literally or figuratively downhill.
Vocabulary lists containing precipitous
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The Kite Runner
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Precipitous increases and declines in farm prices are always damaging.
From Time Magazine Archive
Precipitous drops in the U. S. pecan harvest are nothing new but growers do not agree on reasons.
From Time Magazine Archive
Precipitous deregulation would result in confusion and chaos in the market for up to five years.
From Time Magazine Archive
Precipitous only on its front face, the further side of the pyramid, though steep, was smooth enough to enable him to ride nearly to the top.
From The Luck of Gerard Ridgeley by Mitford, Bertram
Precipitous cliffs rose hundreds of feet on either side.
From Ferdinand De Soto, The Discoverer of the Mississippi American Pioneers and Patriots by Abbott, John S. C. (John Stevens Cabot)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
