precariously

American

[pri-kair-ee-uhs-lee] / prɪˈkɛər i əs li /

adverb

in an unstable, uncertain, or insecure way.

The two archrivals sit precariously balanced at the top of the league, either one likely to fall in the standings at any time.
in a way that is dependent on the will of others.

They live precariously, subject to arrest by immigration authorities, and with taxes withheld from paychecks that they cannot reclaim.
in a way that is risky or dangerous; perilously.

He steadies the canoe as his son stands precariously in the bow, aiming his spear toward the river.

Other Word Forms

superprecariously adverb
unprecariously adverb

Etymology

Origin of precariously

precarious ( def. ) + -ly

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.

Sajili said he was awoken by a fellow passenger as the triple-decker ferry began to tilt precariously.

From Barron's

Germans ignored it out of shame; Jews, living precariously in exile, rejected it as too assimilated and bourgeois.

From The Wall Street Journal

Arsenal will spend Christmas Day on top of the Premier League tree this year, while Wolves, Burnley and West Ham are hanging precariously on the bottom branches.

From BBC

“Long title. Nothing inside,” Cassiopeia said, showing off the sea-washed pages as she balanced precariously on the seat.

From Literature

Even the scandalous news that her supposedly grieving mother-in-law seemed to be on the brink of remarriage did not force a peep from the precariously balanced Lady Constance.

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023