Precarious

//pɹɪˈkɛəɹi.əs// adj

adj ·Moderate ·College level

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Dangerously insecure or unstable; perilous. comparable

    "One morning I had been driven to the precarious refuge afforded by the steps of the inn, after rejecting offers from the Celebrity to join him in a variety of amusements. But even here I was not free from interruption, for he was seated on a horse-block below me, playing with a fox terrier."

  2. 2
    Relating to incipient caries. not-comparable
  3. 3
    Depending on the intention of another.
Adjective
  1. 1
    affording no ease or reassurance wordnet
  2. 2
    fraught with danger wordnet
  3. 3
    not secure; beset with difficulties wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
shakydoubtfuldubiousuncertainunsteadyacute

Antonyms

All antonyms
safe

Example

More examples

"The first-time precarious fisherman lazily fished dangerous poisonous fish, but soon stopped to shell peas."

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Latin precārius (“begged for, obtained by entreaty”), from prex, precis (“prayer”). Compare French précaire, Portuguese precário, and Spanish and Italian precario.

Etymology 2

From pre- + carious.

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.