Definitions

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.

"Children are not immune to what's going on in society, worrying about whether parents are in a steady job or not, precarious housing, family responsibility, taking younger siblings to school," said Campbell.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

The new demand forecasts also mean that the global balance between supply and demand is a lot more precarious.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026

Just how long they’ll have to hang is still unclear, particularly because the cease-fire is already in a precarious spot.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

And I don’t think that they would be as susceptible to the crime that happened if they weren’t in particularly precarious times in their life.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

And yet, all the time, I think we must have had an idea of how precarious the foundations of our fantasy were, because we always avoided any confrontation.

From "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro

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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