Meaning & use
precipitous decline
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Meanings
phraseusually singular
a sudden, steep fall in an amount, level or quality.
Grammar: Used as a countable noun phrase, so it takes an or the: a precipitous decline in sales.
Patterns
- a precipitous decline in something
- a precipitous decline of something
- cause/see/report a precipitous decline
The company reported a precipitous decline in profits after the new tax was introduced.
Since the factory closed, the town has seen a precipitous decline in its population.
Analysts warned of a precipitous decline in demand if prices kept rising.
phraseusually singularformalliterary
a very steep downward drop in a physical height or position.
Grammar: Used in written descriptions of land or paths, often with from or into: a precipitous decline from the ridge.
Patterns
- a precipitous decline from something
- a precipitous decline into something
The path begins with a precipitous decline from the cliff edge.
From the summit there is a precipitous decline into the valley below.
Common combinations
- a precipitous decline in sales
- The retailer blamed a precipitous decline in sales on the bad weather.
- a precipitous decline in standards
- Older teachers complain about a precipitous decline in standards.
- suffer a precipitous decline
- The currency suffered a precipitous decline last month.
- a precipitous decline of the birth rate
- The report describes a precipitous decline of the birth rate since 1990.
- reverse a precipitous decline
- New investment helped reverse a precipitous decline in the region's economy.
Synonyms and how they differ
- steep drop
- More neutral and slightly less formal; it can describe any large fall, while 'precipitous decline' stresses how sudden and uncontrolled the fall is.
- sharp fall
- Common in everyday and business English; it says the fall was big, but not necessarily as dramatic or as hard to stop.
- plunge
- A single noun that is more vivid and informal; it often describes prices or temperatures rather than long-term trends.
- slump
- Suggests a period of weakness rather than a single steep drop, and is common in economic writing.
Opposites
Word family
- precipitously adverb
- in a sudden and steep way: Prices fell precipitously.
- precipitous adjective
- sudden, steep or dangerously hasty: a precipitous fall.
- decline verb
- to become smaller, weaker or worse over time.
- decline noun
- a gradual reduction in amount, quality or importance.
Commonly confused: precipitous decline or precipitate? precipitous decline or precipitation?
precipitous decline vs precipitate
As an adjective, 'precipitate' means hasty or done too quickly, not steep: a precipitate decision. The two words look alike but describe different ideas.
precipitous decline vs precipitation
In weather reports this means rain or snow, not a fall in numbers; the shared root is about falling, which causes confusion.
Practice
Profits have suffered a precipitous ______ since the new competitor entered the market.
Choose one answer.
'Decline' is the noun that pairs with 'precipitous' to mean a steep fall. 'Declination' exists but means a refusal or an angle, 'declining' is a verb form or adjective, and 'declined' is a past verb, so none fits after 'a precipitous'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “precipitous decline”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.