precipice

American  

[pres-uh-pis] / ˈprɛs ə pɪs /

noun

1. a cliff with a vertical, nearly vertical, or overhanging face.

2. a situation of great peril.

   on the precipice of war.

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precipice British  

/ ˈprɛsɪpɪs /

noun

1. 1. the steep sheer face of a cliff or crag

   2. the cliff or crag itself

2. a precarious situation

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Other Word Forms

• precipiced
  adjective
• unprecipiced
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of precipice

1590–1600; < Middle French < Latin praecipitium steep place, equivalent to praecipit- (stem of praeceps ) steep, headlong ( prae- pre- + -cipit-, combining form of caput head; see caput) + -ium -ium

Explanation

Cartoon characters often end up on a precipice, the edge of a steep cliff, where their chubby toes curl and cling as they totter and eventually fall, making a hole in the ground below and getting up again. Most real people avoid precipices. Unless you're a skilled climber or mountain-sport enthusiast, a precipice is a scary thing. Some imagine falling off and making the sharp drop, while others get dizzy just thinking about looking down. This makes sense, considering that the 17th-century English word precipice comes, through French, from Latin words meaning "headlong" and "abrupt descent." In modern use, precipice also describes how it feels to fall, or fail, in areas of life that don't involve mountains, such as being "on the precipice of losing everything."

Example Sentences

The good news is we aren’t on the precipice of a massive surge in unemployment from AI replacing workers.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

The influencer and reality star was on the precipice of making her debut on the dating series before the latest crossover attempt by a member of ‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ was derailed.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2026

But the fact that these investors must now unwind their hedges could help keep the market off the precipice by requiring some forced buying.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 9, 2026

The death of Khamenei leaves Iran at a historic precipice, forcing it to navigate a difficult transition while weathering a massive military campaign from the U.S. and Israel and simmering unrest in the streets.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 2, 2026

Sam thought he saw a last fleeting glimpse of it, peering back over the edge of the eastward precipice, before it ducked and disappeared.

From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien

Related Words

• bluff
• cliff
• crag