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precarious

adjective

pre·​car·​i·​ous pri-ˈker-ē-əs How to pronounce precarious (audio)
1
a
: dependent on chance circumstances, unknown conditions, or uncertain developments
… forced to earn a precarious living as a door-to-door salesman. Peter Ackroyd
Their wealth was precarious, liable to be seized by the sultan if they fell from favour … Albert Hourani
… the resilience of our still-evolving planet, where life is always precarious but always tenacious. Robert MacKenzie
b
: characterized by a lack of security or stability that threatens with danger
His balance looks precarious, and I try to talk him down … Blake Morrison
In spite of his precarious emotional state, he wrote more than two dozen books … Liesl Schillinger
At 82 years old, she was in precarious health and had respiratory problems. Annabelle Olivier
… a downturn in food supply could tip a precarious balance. Mary Cherry
If the condition of the biosphere is even half as precarious as the environmentalists suggest, then the twenty-first century must, of necessity, abandon the theory of value so lovingly displayed in the windows of Bloomingdale's. Lewis H. Lapham
2
: dependent on uncertain premises : dubious
… the student of psychology who cares little for brilliant precarious generalizations … Baltimore Medical Journal and Bulletin
3
archaic : depending on the will or pleasure of another
In rank and authority these officers seemed not inferior to the ancient proconsuls; but their station was dependent and precarious. Edward Gibbon

Did you know?

"This little happiness is so very precarious, that it wholly depends on the will of others." Joseph Addison, in a 1711 issue of Spectator magazine, couldn't have described the oldest sense of precarious more precisely—the original meaning of the word was "depending on the will or pleasure of another." Precarious comes from a Latin word meaning "obtained by entreaty," which itself is from the word for prayer, prex.

Choose the Right Synonym for precarious

dangerous, hazardous, precarious, perilous, risky mean bringing or involving the chance of loss or injury.

dangerous applies to something that may cause harm or loss unless dealt with carefully.

soldiers on a dangerous mission

hazardous implies great and continuous risk of harm or failure.

claims that smoking is hazardous to your health

precarious suggests both insecurity and uncertainty.

earned a precarious living by gambling

perilous strongly implies the immediacy of danger.

perilous mountain roads

risky often applies to a known and accepted danger.

shied away from risky investments

Example Sentences

These states are corrupt and brutal. They are theocracies, or precarious autocracies, or secular totalitarian states: tyrannies all, deniers of freedom, republics of fear, enemies of civility and human flourishing. Ramesh Ponnuru, National Review, 15 Oct. 2001 Such folks led a precarious existence, their homes routinely destroyed in pursuit of a scorched earth policy whenever Florence came under siege. R. W. B. Lewis, Dante, 2001 She was the first baby he had ever held; he had thought it would be a precarious experience, shot through with fear of dropping something so precious and fragile, but no, in even the smallest infant there was an adhesive force, a something that actively fit your arms and hands, banishing the fear. John Updike, The Afterlife, 1994 He earned a precarious livelihood by gambling. The strong wind almost knocked him off of his precarious perch on the edge of the cliff.
Recent Examples on the Web Reedus' already precarious position was certainly exacerbated by his rough and tumble medical history. Dalton Ross, EW.com, 7 Sep. 2022 The rest of the season became a precarious series of tests as to whether those early problems had been corrected — and ultimately, the Buckeyes did not pass. Nathan Baird, cleveland, 7 Sep. 2022 Further complicating the selection of the next target launch date is the precarious Florida weather. Jackie Wattles, CNN, 6 Sep. 2022 The unexpected death of Bed, Bath & Beyond's former chief financial officer amid allegations of fraud against him raises further questions about the struggling retail chain and highlights its precarious finances. Irina Ivanova, CBS News, 6 Sep. 2022 How many of these highly vulnerable minor leaguers are going to be willing to risk angering the people who hold their precarious futures in their hands? Mitchell Nathanson, The Conversation, 5 Sep. 2022 Smithson knew the Great Salt Lake and the surrounding desert was a precarious, if not altogether hostile, environment for his ambitious art project. Siobhan Reid, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Sep. 2022 For jewelers who’ve grown accustomed to traveling for work, being homebound is a precarious turn of events. Daniel Miller, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2022 In a series of filings over the next year, DWAC repeatedly emphasized the precarious status of both Truth Social and TMTG. Colin Lodewick, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2022 See More

Word History

Etymology

Latin precārius "given as a favor, depending on the pleasure or mercy of others, of questionable force or permanence, uncertain" + -ous — more at prayer entry 1

First Known Use

1626, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of precarious was in 1626

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