precarious

[ pri-kair-ee-uhs ]
/ prɪˈkɛər i əs /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR precarious ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

dependent on circumstances beyond one's control; uncertain; unstable; insecure: a precarious livelihood.
dependent on the will or pleasure of another; liable to be withdrawn or lost at the will of another: He held a precarious tenure under an arbitrary administration.
exposed to or involving danger; dangerous; perilous; risky: the precarious life of an underseas diver.
having insufficient, little, or no foundation: a precarious assumption.

Origin of precarious

First recorded in 1640–50, precarious is from the Latin word precārius “obtained by entreaty or mere favor” (hence uncertain). See prayer1

synonym study for precarious

1. See uncertain.

OTHER WORDS FROM precarious

Words nearby precarious

precancel, precancer, precancerous, precapillary, precariat, precarious, precarity, precartilage, precast, precatory, precaution

Words related to precariously

severely, sorely, badly, very, intensely, acutely, grievously, desperately, seriously, recklessly, critically, perilously, alarmingly, gravely, decidedly, quite, deplorably, distressingly, menacingly, regrettably

Example sentences from the Web for precariously

British Dictionary definitions for precariously

precarious
/ (prɪˈkɛərɪəs) /

adjective

liable to failure or catastrophe; insecure; perilous
archaic dependent on another's will

Derived forms of precarious

precariously, adverb precariousness, noun

Word Origin for precarious

C17: from Latin precārius obtained by begging (hence, dependent on another's will), from prex prayer 1