Meaning & use
precarious
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Not held or placed safely, so likely to fall or fail suddenly.
Grammar: Can be graded: more precarious, most precarious. Often used after 'be' or before a noun: a precarious position.
Patterns
- a precarious position
- be precarious
- precarious balance
The stack of books looked precarious, so I moved it away from the edge.
She was in a precarious position on the ladder and asked for help.
The vase sat in a precarious spot on the narrow shelf.
adjectivecomparable
Uncertain and likely to change or fail, especially in finances, health, or work.
Grammar: Describes situations or states: a precarious job, a precarious peace. Can be graded.
Patterns
- a precarious situation
- precarious finances
- precarious employment
After the factory closed, the family's finances became precarious.
The peace agreement remains precarious and could break down at any time.
He took a precarious job with no contract and low pay.
Word forms
| comparative | more precarious |
|---|---|
| superlative | most precarious |
Common combinations
- precarious position
- The climber was in a precarious position on the icy rock.
- precarious situation
- The company is in a precarious situation after losing its biggest client.
- precarious balance
- The dancer kept a precarious balance on one foot.
- precarious finances
- Their precarious finances improved after she found steady work.
- precarious employment
- Many workers face precarious employment with short-term contracts.
Synonyms and how they differ
- unstable
- Unstable means not steady and can describe objects, people, or systems; precarious often suggests a specific risk of falling or failing soon.
- risky
- Risky focuses on the chance of a bad result from a choice; precarious describes a state that is already dangerously uncertain.
- shaky
- Shaky is more informal and often describes physical trembling or weak support; precarious is stronger and more formal.
Opposites
Word family
- precariously adverb
- In a way that is not safe or certain: The box was balanced precariously on the edge.
- precariousness noun
- The state of being uncertain or likely to fail.
Commonly confused: precarious or precious?
precarious vs precious
Precious means valuable or loved; precarious means unsafe or uncertain. They sound similar but have very different meanings.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'precarious' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Precarious describes something likely to fall or fail, so a bridge in a precarious state fits. The other options use it where 'precious' (valuable), 'pleasant' (nice), or 'gentle' (soft) would be the right word.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “precarious”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.