precarious

[pri-kair-ee-uhs]

See more synonyms for precarious on Thesaurus.com

adjective

dependent on circumstances beyond one's control; uncertain; unstable; insecure: a precarious livelihood.
dependent on the will or pleasure of another; liable to be withdrawn or lost at the will of another: He held a precarious tenure under an arbitrary administration.
exposed to or involving danger; dangerous; perilous; risky: the precarious life of an underseas diver.

having insufficient, little, or no foundation: a precarious assumption.

Origin of precarious

First recorded in 1640–50, precarious is from the Latin word precārius “obtained by entreaty or mere favor” (hence uncertain). See prayer¹

Related formspre·car·i·ous·ly, adverbpre·car·i·ous·ness, nounsu·per·pre·car·i·ous, adjectivesu·per·pre·car·i·ous·ly, adverbsu·per·pre·car·i·ous·ness, nounun·pre·car·i·ous, adjectiveun·pre·car·i·ous·ly, adverbun·pre·car·i·ous·ness, noun

Synonyms for precarious

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1. unsure, unsteady. 2. doubtful, dubious, unreliable, undependable. 3. hazardous. 4. groundless, baseless, unfounded.

Synonym study

1. See uncertain.

Antonyms for precarious

1. secure. 2. reliable. 3. safe. 4. well-founded.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for precariously

severely, sorely, badly, very, intensely, acutely, grievously, desperately, seriously, recklessly, critically, perilously, precariously, alarmingly, gravely, decidedly, quite, deplorably, distressingly, menacingly

Examples from the Web for precariously

Contemporary Examples of precariously

On the right side of the fall line, but precariously close to the precipice.
Two Chickens, an Old Guitar, and a Group of Strangers: A Life-Changing Feast in Brazil
Annabel Langbein
November 29, 2013
Those women who are not alone are often only precariously coupled.
Was Helen Gurley Brown A Feminist?
David Frum
August 14, 2012
They're high, but not precariously so, and are being shown with thin black socks.
Backstage at Vera Wang
Isabel Wilkinson
September 14, 2010

Historical Examples of precariously

Vine vigorous, precariously hardy, lacking in productiveness.
Manual of American Grape-Growing
U. P. Hedrick
It seemed to him he remained there precariously alone with the stanchion for a long, long time.
Typhoon
Joseph Conrad
He labours to bear in mind, how undeservedly they are often bestowed, how precariously they are always possessed.
A Practical View of the Prevailing Religious System of Professed Christians, in the Middle and Higher Classes in this Country, Contrasted with Real Christianity.
William Wilberforce
He was the son of Amoz, who has been (much too precariously) identified with a brother of Amaziah.
The Expositor's Bible
F. W. Farrar
It then appeared how precariously it had stood for many years.
The Book of Curiosities
I. Platts

British Dictionary definitions for precariously

precarious

adjective

liable to failure or catastrophe; insecure; perilous
archaic dependent on another's will

Derived Formsprecariously, adverbprecariousness, noun

Word Origin for precarious

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for precariously

precarious

adj.

1640s, a legal word, "held through the favor of another," from Latin precarius "obtained by asking or praying," from prex (genitive precis) "entreaty, prayer" (see pray). Notion of "dependent on the will of another" led to extended sense "risky, dangerous, uncertain" (1680s). "No word is more unskillfully used than this with its derivatives. It is used for uncertain in all its senses; but it only means uncertain, as dependent on others ..." [Johnson]. Related: Precariously; precariousness.