precipitous

adjective

pre·cip·i·tous | \ pri-ˈsi-pə-təs

Definition of precipitous

1 : precipitate sense 2

2a : very steep, perpendicular, or overhanging in rise or fall a precipitous slope

b : having precipitous sides a precipitous gorge

c : having a very steep ascent a precipitous street

Other Words from precipitous Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about precipitous

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Choose the Right Synonym for precipitous

steep, abrupt, precipitous, sheer mean having an incline approaching the perpendicular. steep implies such sharpness of pitch that ascent or descent is very difficult. a steep hill a steep dive abrupt implies a sharper pitch and a sudden break in the level. a beach with an abrupt drop-off precipitous applies to an incline approaching the vertical. the river winds through a precipitous gorge sheer suggests an unbroken perpendicular expanse. sheer cliffs that daunted the climbers

Examples of precipitous in a Sentence

There has been a precipitous decline in home sales recently. People were shocked by his precipitous fall from political power.

Recent Examples on the Web

After three years of precipitous increases, homelessness dipped slightly this year, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority reported Thursday, providing a hopeful sign that new money flowing into housing and services is having an effect. — Dakota Smith, latimes.com, "Homelessness dips in L.A. and countywide, but more people are living on the streets for the first time," 31 May 2018 Hogg, who also saw a precipitous increase in his Twitter following, asked whether somebody, anybody, would run against Gibson. — Cleve R. Wootson Jr., Washington Post, "Republican who called Parkland teen a ‘skinhead lesbian’ drops out of Maine House race," 17 Mar. 2018 The islanders were skilled climbers; their lives depended on it since the meat and eggs of seabirds were their main source of protein, and the birds nested and laid their eggs on precipitous and dangerous terrain. — Neel Mukherjee, New York Times, "A Veritable No Man’s Land, Off the Coast of Scotland," 7 May 2018 But in a strange, abrupt, precipitous ending, Marjorie does indeed become a Shirley. — Marjorie Ingall, Town & Country, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," 4 Dec. 2018 The path to this new low started on December 22nd 2017 with a precipitous crash followed by periodic rebounds which did little to stop the ultimate trend towards the new year-long low. — Eric Limer, Popular Mechanics, "Bitcoin Plunges to a Year-Long Low," 20 Nov. 2018 That claim comes despite the slow pace of lease sales in recent years and a precipitous drop in demand for the heavily-polluting fuel. — Matthew Brown, The Seattle Times, "States ask court to stop Trump from reviving US coal sales," 12 Dec. 2018 The company's precipitous decline in the streaming age has now reached its near-nadir: As of August, there will be only one operating Blockbuster store in the entire country. — Avery Thompson, Popular Mechanics, "There's Only One Blockbuster Left in the United States," 13 July 2018 Photo: Jason Liske The modernist, 7,000-square-foot, three bedroom home of Kim and Robert Zielinski is built on a precipitous, 50% slope in Pittsburgh’s South Side neighborhood. — Kris Frieswick, WSJ, "Luxury Living Off the Edge of a Mountain," 21 Nov. 2018

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