precipitous

adjective

pre·​cip·​i·​tous pri-ˈsi-pə-təs 

1

: precipitate sense 2

2

a

: 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

precipitously adverb

precipitousness noun

Synonyms

• hurried
• rushed
• sudden
• impulsive
• headlong
• hasty
• rash
• reckless
• rapid
• overhasty
• precipitate
• abrupt

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

Still, no other Braves hitters have seen declines as precipitous as Albies and Harris. Albies, a three-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger Award winner, entered Friday with a .221 average, six homers and 28 RBIs to go with a .618 OPS that was 160 points below his .778 career OPS. —David O'Brien, New York Times, 27 June 2025

For example, many of us are still carrying latent resistance to the bubonic plague centuries after the precipitous event. —Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025

Any team would see a precipitous drop in creativity and efficiency following a season-ending injury to one of the best point guards in the league. —Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2025

Tesla’s profits plummeted 71% over the first three months of the year, with reputation rankings showing a similarly precipitous drop amongst consumers. —Michael Wilner, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

French précipiteux, from Middle French, from Latin precipitium precipice

First Known Use

1612, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for precipitous

• serendipitous

Kids Definition

precipitous

adjective

pre·​cip·​i·​tous pri-ˈsip-ət-əs 

1

: showing unwise and unnecessary haste : rash

a precipitous act

2

: steep like a precipice

a precipitous slope

precipitously adverb

precipitousness noun