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.
While on the precipice of four-homer history Saturday, Suárez remembered. Jack Magruder, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025 Others fear Altadena is on the precipice of an environmental health disaster. Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2025 If anything, Trump's tariffs on Canada—combined with the recurrent reckless talk of annexation—seem to have caused the political collapse of Canada's Conservative Party on the precipice of a crucial national election. Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025 But the Gunners’ routing of Ipswich meant the club had to make do with a win, putting them on the precipice of glory. Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 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 14 May. 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!