precarious

[pri-kair-ee-uhs]

adjective

1. dependent on circumstances beyond one's control; uncertain; insecure.

   a precarious livelihood.

   Synonyms: indeterminate, unsure
   Antonyms: secure

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 dependent on the will or pleasure of another; liable to be withdrawn or lost at the will of another.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.

   Synonyms: undependable, unreliable, dubious, doubtful
   Antonyms: reliable

3. exposed to or involving danger; dangerous; perilous; risky.

   the precarious life of an underseas diver.

   Synonyms: hazardous
   Antonyms: safe

4. having insufficient, little, or no foundation.

   a precarious assumption.

   Synonyms: unfounded, baseless, groundless
   Antonyms: well-founded

precarious

/ prɪˈkɛərɪəs /

adjective

1. liable to failure or catastrophe; insecure; perilous

2. archaic,  dependent on another's will

Other Word Forms

• precariously adverb
• precariousness noun
• superprecarious adjective
• superprecariousness noun
• unprecarious adjective
• unprecariousness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of precarious¹

First recorded in 1640–50; from Latin precārius “obtained by entreaty; given as a favor; borrowed; uncertain”; prayer ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of precarious¹

C17: from Latin precārius obtained by begging (hence, dependent on another's will), from prex _prayer ¹

Synonym Study

See uncertain.

Example Sentences

Mr Kealey described the firm's financial position as "extremely precarious", with a profit margin of less than 1%, and said jobs would be put at risk by a fine.

Read more on BBC

The immigration raids placed the Dodgers in a precarious position that the organization is still trying to navigate.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Employers such as Amazon, UPS and Target have recently announced large corporate layoffs, creating a new normal where white-collar workers face a precarious job market as blue-collar opportunities grow.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The cascade of restructurings has created a precarious feeling for managers and staff alike.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“But this would seem to suggest that kind of stasis is now changing to more direct action on the part of companies, and that’s going to make jobs more precarious.”

Read more on MarketWatch

Related Words

• dangerous 
• delicate 
• dicey 
• hazardous 
• insecure 
• perilous 
• problematic 
• risky 
• rocky 
• shaky 
• slippery 
• ticklish 
• touchy 
• uncertain 
• unhealthy 
• unreliable 
• unsettled 
• unstable 
• unsteady