precariously
Americanadverb
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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.
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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.
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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
Etymology
Origin of precariously
Explanation
If something is happening or positioned precariously, it's in danger. A glass could be precariously balanced on the edge of a table. If something is on the verge of danger, then the word precariously fits. You're living precariously if you jump up and down on a lake that's not totally frozen. In your late teens, you're precariously close to the brink of adulthood. When you have one college class left, you're precariously close to having to find a job. Some people like living precariously: they enjoy danger. Other people just get stressed out and prefer to live carefully.
Vocabulary lists containing precariously
"The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell
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A Raisin in the Sun
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The Lightning Thief
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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.
In Lima's suburb of San Juan de Lurigancho, dusty hilltop neighbourhoods sprawl precariously down the slopes.
From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026
The only way I got to a wedding in Istanbul was by sitting precariously on top of my carry-on bag, the most uncomfortable 10 hours of my life.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 3, 2026
Sajili said he was awoken by a fellow passenger as the triple-decker ferry began to tilt precariously.
From Barron's • Jan. 26, 2026
Germans ignored it out of shame; Jews, living precariously in exile, rejected it as too assimilated and bourgeois.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026
They climbed on, Hazel in front, Frank and Percy balancing precariously behind her.
From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan
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.
