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.
Three others, including Nims, ended up in a more dangerous position - in the centre of a slope with large pillars of glacial ice precariously balanced to the left and right.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
This corner of Brooklyn is moving on to the next wave of gentrification: They’re culturally gentrifying the original gentrifiers, erasing the identity of precariously employed DJs who are experimenting with polyamory and microbangs.
From Slate ● Sep. 6, 2026
“Higher prices, Europe’s slower storage rebuild and continued geopolitical uncertainty all point to a market that remains precariously balanced,” Cheniere Executive Vice President Anatol Feygin told investors last month.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
He wrote the foreword for the scholarly book “California Grizzly” and from his Montana home keeps an eye on the well-being of his home state’s precariously small colony of grizzlies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
I climb a neighboring tree and leap precariously into the maple, almost losing my hold on the slick bark.
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
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.
