Meaning & use

precarious

adjective·Advanced

Not securely held or positioned, and likely to fail, fall, or collapse without warning.

See it in a sentence

The old ladder left him in a precarious position high above the roof.

The company's finances were precarious after losing its biggest client.

A note on using this word

Precarious applies to physical balance as well as abstract situations like finances, health, or employment.

Words with a similar meaning

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

securestable

Make it your own

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