precipitous
Americanadjective
-
of the nature of or characterized by precipices.
a precipitous wall of rock.
-
extremely or impassably steep.
precipitous mountain trails.
- Synonyms:
- perpendicular, sheer, abrupt
adjective
-
resembling a precipice or characterized by precipices
-
very steep
-
hasty or precipitate
Usage
The use of precipitous to mean hasty is thought by some people to be incorrect
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of precipitous
1640–50; < obsolete French précipiteux; see precipitate, -ous
Explanation
A sharp, steep drop — whether it's in a stock price, a roller coaster, or a star's popularity — could be described as a precipitous one. Put simply, precipitous means perilously steep. Look closely and you'll spot most of the word precipice (a sheer, almost vertical cliff) in precipitous. Now imagine how you'd feel standing at the edge peering over, and you'll grasp the sense of impending danger that precipitous tends to imply. Precipitous declines in sales lead to bankruptcy. Precipitous mountainside hiking trails are not for the acrophobic. It can describe an ascent, but precipitous is most often used for things going literally or figuratively downhill.
Vocabulary lists containing precipitous
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The Kite Runner
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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.
Glaciers have also been shrinking at a precipitous rate, with 2025 marking the fourth consecutive year where they shed significant ice mass across all regions.
From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026
It’s a precipitous drop from the thousands who crossed daily at the peak of a migrant surge in 2022.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
South Korea rolled out its new leveraged ETFs in May, teeing up the precipitous fall.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
“The precipitous decline of X is the bellwether for a new era of the Internet that simply feels less fun than it used to be. Remember having fun online?” he wrote.
From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026
Situated 11,300 feet above sea level, Namche occupies a huge, tilting bowl proportioned like a giant satellite television dish, midway up a precipitous mountainside.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
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.
