as in dangerous
not safe, strong, or steady
He earned a precarious livelihood by gambling. She was in a state of precarious health. The government is in a precarious position. The strong wind almost knocked him off of his precarious perch on the edge of the cliff.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
as in instability
the quality or state of not being firmly fixed in position
she quickly moved the china teapot after noticing its precariousness on the shelf
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of precarious
Lila MacLellan, Fortune, 16 July 2025
The Miami Dolphins are in a bit of a precarious spot.
—Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 July 2025
Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 22 May 2025
Recurrent themes running through the selection are motherhood, love and precariousness, and often precariousness linked to motherhood, such as in Adam’s Interest and the other Belgian film Kika.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for precarious
Adjective
But leadership experts say that his behavior and choices are also lessons for other CEOs navigating precarious times.
—Lila MacLellan, Fortune, 16 July 2025
The Miami Dolphins are in a bit of a precarious spot.
—Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 July 2025
Noun
But instead of recognizing the precariousness of his position, Netanyahu abandoned his characteristic caution, put his faith in Trump without a fallback, and is now left with nowhere else to turn.
—Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 22 May 2025
Recurrent themes running through the selection are motherhood, love and precariousness, and often precariousness linked to motherhood, such as in Adam’s Interest and the other Belgian film Kika.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for precarious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for precarious
Adjective
-
More dangerous heat waves The Great Lakes region warmed substantially faster in the six years since the last assessment than it did in decades prior, the report shows.—
Caitlin Looby,
jsonline.com,
24 July 2025
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Here's what each means, according to the NWS: Heat advisory: A heat advisory is the lowest level and is issued for dangerous heat conditions that are not expected to reach the criteria for a more serious alert.—
Chad Murphy,
The Enquirer,
24 July 2025
Noun
-
Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula and surrounding Pacific Rim regions continued to experience seismic instability, with dozens of aftershocks being reported on Saturday by the United States Geological Survey (USGS).—
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Aug. 2025
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Noem can grant Temporary Protected Status to people of various countries already in the U.S. if conditions in the home country prevent a safe return, such as natural disaster or political instability.—
Janie Har,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
In addition to some light-hearted banter between Thia and Dek, the trailer also gives viewers a look at the treacherous journey ahead of them.—
Caroline Blair,
People.com,
23 July 2025
-
Airplanes can be treacherous for people who use wheelchairs.—
Joseph Shapiro,
NPR,
17 July 2025
Adjective
-
But through the sheer power of mixing genes into new combinations, the risky gamble of interspecies pairings has also sometimes majorly paid off.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
31 July 2025
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The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) highlights how sleep deficiency, on the other hand, impairs these abilities and is linked to emotional issues, depression, and risky behaviors—especially in children and teens.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 July 2025
Adjective
-
Alexander Isak is training individually at former club Real Sociedad with his future at Newcastle United uncertain.—
Guillermo Rai,
New York Times,
31 July 2025
-
The shift is rapid, relentless, and, for millions of Americans, deeply uncertain.—
John Hope Bryant,
Time,
31 July 2025
Adjective
-
Despite receiving safety stamps of approval, the process for building the Las Vegas tunnels came under fire for worker safety violations and concerns, with the project being cited for numerous violations that included injuries and exposure to hazardous materials.—
Karoline Leonard,
Austin American Statesman,
31 July 2025
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Grants will be given to projects that remove or reduce hazardous wood materials National Forest System Lands.—
Noël Fletcher,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Precarious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/precarious. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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