precariously

adverb

pre·​car·​i·​ous·​ly pri-ˈker-ē-əs-lē 

: in a precarious manner

These birds suspend their nests precariously among fine twigs …

—Michael Hansell

… the privilege of a tiny, precariously poised minority.

—Derek Bickerton

Waiters in white shirts and black vests roamed, trays balanced precariously but with utmost precision.

—Noah Charney

… it's now balancing precariously on the brink of extinction and has become the first-ever bumblebee to be declared endangered in the US.

—Laura Dennison

Examples of precariously in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Six weeks overdue and precariously close to the July 1 start of a new fiscal year, the budget came together almost entirely behind closed doors with most key decisions in the hands of a select few Republican lawmakers. —Steve Bousquet, Sun Sentinel, 14 June 2025

But the economic Jenga tower the Trump administration has constructed is precariously balanced on a host of economic caveats and unproven theories. —David Goldman, CNN Money, 5 June 2025

When the ground shifted a bit more, the movement pushed a covered Porche onto the edge of the sinkhole, left precariously dangling. —Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2025

With swords precariously dangling above them, the witches have to place a selection of tarot cards in a specific order. —EW.com, 19 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1646, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for precariously

• hilariously
• vicariously
• variously