precarious
Americanadjective
-
dependent on circumstances beyond one's control; uncertain; insecure.
a precarious livelihood.
- Synonyms:
- indeterminate, unsure
- Antonyms:
- secure
-
dependent on the will or pleasure of another; liable to be withdrawn or lost at the will of another.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.
- Synonyms:
- undependable, unreliable, dubious, doubtful
- Antonyms:
- reliable
-
exposed to or involving danger; dangerous; perilous; risky.
the precarious life of an underseas diver.
- Synonyms:
- hazardous
- Antonyms:
- safe
-
having insufficient, little, or no foundation.
a precarious assumption.
- Synonyms:
- unfounded, baseless, groundless
- Antonyms:
- well-founded
adjective
-
liable to failure or catastrophe; insecure; perilous
-
archaic dependent on another's will
Related Words
See uncertain.
Other Word Forms
- precariously adverb
- precariousness noun
- superprecarious adjective
- superprecariousness noun
- unprecarious adjective
- unprecariousness noun
Etymology
Origin of precarious
First recorded in 1640–50; from Latin precārius “obtained by entreaty; given as a favor; borrowed; uncertain”; prayer 1
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.
"Everyone has a right to a safe, warm, affordable secure home. That isn't the case for so many people. It is so precarious, especially for younger people."
From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026
And I don’t think that they would be as susceptible to the crime that happened if they weren’t in particularly precarious times in their life.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026
The situation is so precarious that Prime Minister Koo Yun Cheol has suggested that, for the first time in 35 years, driving restrictions may be imposed on the public to restrict energy consumption.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026
Ord Minnett says Lotus’s supplies of acid and sulphur look secure at present, but fuel is more precarious.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026
“Who knew better than I on what a precarious, tottering house of cards my whole life rested?”
From "Bomb" by Steve Sheinkin
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.
