precipice

noun

prec·​i·​pice ˈpre-s(ə-)pəs How to pronounce precipice (audio)
1
: a very steep or overhanging place
2
: a hazardous situation
broadly : brink

Examples of precipice in a Sentence

Twenty years ago, it seemed unlikely that black and white South Africans could avoid a cataclysmic struggle. How did we manage to turn back from the precipice and join one another in the long walk to a nonracial democracy? F. W. De Klerk, Time, 18 Apr. 2005
These are the brave, friendly guys and gals who flip, twist, spin and somersault themselves backward into the sky and somehow land on a horrifyingly steep precipice without rearranging their rib cages or breaking their faces. Curry Kirkpatrick, Newsweek, 21 Feb. 1994
… the helpless Cambodians were bused from the safety of a refugee camp to an outcropping along the border several hundred miles to the northeast, where they were forced over the precipice into a wild and inaccessible part of Cambodia from which it would be almost impossible to return to Thailand. Barbara Crossette, New York Times Book Review, 2 Aug. 1987
He stood on the edge of the precipice. scaled the steep precipice with the ease of an experienced climber
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Instead, the film, set in 1952, follows the fictional Marty Mauser, grinding it in New York’s table tennis scene and on the precipice of a major break. David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2025 The reason stars like these are important, however, is because humanity is on the precipice of designing, building, and operating our first telescopes that will be capable of measuring the light from Earth-sized worlds at Earth-like distances around (roughly) Sun-like stars. Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 7 Oct. 2025 Mo Thenell put the Eagles on the precipice of tying the game with a 13-yard TD run, but Monroe and While Adame applied pressure on the extra point to secure the win for the Rebels (2-3). Matt Schubert, Denver Post, 26 Sep. 2025 The Caribs encamped on the summit of a steep cliff surrounded by high precipices, which could only be climbed by a narrow secret pathway. The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 19 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for precipice

Word History

Etymology

French, from Middle French, from Latin praecipitium, from praecipit-, praeceps headlong, from prae- + caput head — more at head

First Known Use

1613, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of precipice was in 1613

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Precipice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/precipice. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

precipice

noun
prec·​i·​pice ˈpres-(ə-)pəs How to pronounce precipice (audio)
: a very steep and high face of a rock or mountain

More from Merriam-Webster on precipice

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