Definition of PRECARIOUS

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

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." Prayers and entreaties directed at that "other" might or might not help, but what precariousness really hangs on, in the end, is prex, the Latin word for prayer. From prex came the Latin word precarius, meaning "obtained by entreaty," from whence came our own adjective precarious. Anglo-French priere, also from precarius, gave us prayer.

Examples of precarious in a Sentence

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

In contrast, the latest rally looks less precarious. ... — Joanne Chiu, WSJ, "Why It’s Not 2015 All Over Again for Chinese Stocks," 26 Feb. 2019 The rapid collapse in the English Premier League made Conte's future look increasingly precarious. — Rob Harris, chicagotribune.com, "Hazard penalty earns Chelsea victory over Man United in FA Cup final," 19 May 2018 Valadao, a dairyman from Hanford (Kings County), has a lot of company as a Republican in an increasingly precarious spot. — John Wildermuth, San Francisco Chronicle, "Trump’s troubles in California proving a drag to GOP House incumbents," 6 Apr. 2018 Everyone then travels to the Golden State to investigate, and a precarious situation turns much worse when Dr. Spencer Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler) and J.J. Jareau (A.J. Cook) are taken hostage by the armed suspect, according to Entertainment Tonight. — Jennifer Aldrich, Country Living, "'Criminal Minds’ Hints That Rossi's Wedding Will Have an 'Emotional' Cliffhanger," 6 Feb. 2019 During his visit, Gen. Miller carried an M4 assault rifle, a visual display of the precarious security situation there for the U.S. military. — Ehsanullah Amiri, WSJ, "Three Americans Killed in Roadside Bombing in Afghanistan," 27 Nov. 2018 That partnership has often appeared precarious and Mr. Berlusconi is banking on a strong showing in the EU election to show his continued relevance and position his party as an eventual coalition partner with the League. — Eric Sylvers, WSJ, "Italy’s Berlusconi Is Back for One More Try," 17 Jan. 2019 Turkey’s situation is among the most precarious among emerging markets because so much of its growth was fueled with debt in foreign currencies. — Suzan Fraser, The Seattle Times, "Turkey tries to contain crisis but currency keeps falling," 14 Aug. 2018 Alternative rescue scenarios have ramped up as forecasts for rain make the extraction-by-diving plan increasingly precarious. — Chris Irvine, Fox News, "Former navy SEAL assisting in cave rescue of Thai soccer team dead from lack of oxygen, authorities say," 7 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'precarious.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.