adj
precarious
prih-KEH-uh-ree-uhs
adj
1
Not safe or stable; likely to fail or collapse at any moment.
"The old ladder left him in a precarious position on the roof."
"The company's finances were in a precarious state after the lawsuit."
How to Use Precarious
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishShaky, unstable, or risky — something that could easily go wrong or fall apart.
Common pairings
precarious position
precarious balance
precarious situation
Word Forms
more precarious comparative, most precarious superlative
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Etymology
From Latin "precarius," meaning "obtained by begging" or "depending on another's favor," from "prex" ("prayer" or "request") — the idea being that something granted at another's whim could be taken away just as easily.