precarious

[pri-kair-ee-uhs] / prɪˈkɛər i əs /

ADJECTIVE

tricky, doubtful

Synonyms

STRONGEST

dangerous delicate dicey hazardous insecure perilous problematic risky rocky shaky slippery ticklish touchy uncertain unhealthy unreliable unsettled unstable unsteady

WEAK

ambiguous borderline chancy contingent dubious dynamite equivocal hairy hanging by a thread iffy impugnable indecisive loaded on thin ice open out on a limb rugged sensitive touch and go unsafe unsure

Antonyms

STRONGEST

certain definite guarded happy healthy protected reliable safe secure settled stable steady strong sure

WEAK

firm undoubted

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Then, he hit Zach Neto with a pitch, and after Neto stole second, the Dodgers found themselves in a precarious position with Mike Trout at the plate.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026

It leaves the Frenchman in a precarious position and unable to stay at the club that he said he truly wanted to stay at.

From BBC • May 29, 2026

The woman said the price of essentials has surged, with sudden and unpredictable increases making daily life increasingly precarious.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026

Airlines are once again in a precarious position.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026

Built along a gentle slope of the mountain, Bithynios wasn’t a precarious, cliffside sort of place.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

Vocabulary lists containing precarious

Grade 11, List 3

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A Doll's House

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John F. Kennedy's Address to the American People on the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)

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