Adjacent Words

Precarious definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PRECA'RIOUS, a. [L. precarius, from precor, to pray or entreat; primarily, depending on request, or on the will of another.
1. Depending on the will or pleasure of another; held by courtesy liable to be changed or lost at the pleasure of another. A privilege depending on another's will is precarious, or held by a precarious tenure.
2. Uncertain; held by a doubtful tenure; depending on unknown or unforeseen causes or events. Temporal prosperity is precarious; personal advantages, health, strength and beauty are all precarious, depending on a thousand accidents.
We say also,the weather is precarious; a phrase in which we depart not more from the primary sense of the word, than we do in a large part of all the words in the language.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: affording no ease or reassurance; "a precarious truce" [syn: precarious, unstable]
2: fraught with danger; "dangerous waters"; "a parlous journey on stormy seas"; "a perilous voyage across the Atlantic in a small boat"; "the precarious life of an undersea diver"; "dangerous surgery followed by a touch-and-go recovery" [syn: parlous, perilous, precarious, touch-and-go]
3: not secure; beset with difficulties; "a shaky marriage" [syn: precarious, shaky]

Merriam Webster's

adjective Etymology: Latin precarius obtained by entreaty, uncertain — more at prayer Date: 1646 1. depending on the will or pleasure of another 2. dependent on uncertain premises ; dubious <precarious generalizations> 3. a. dependent on chance circumstances, unknown conditions, or uncertain developments b. characterized by a lack of security or stability that threatens with danger Synonyms: see dangerous • precariously adverb • precariousness noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. 1 uncertain; dependent on chance (makes a precarious living). 2 insecure, perilous (precarious health). Derivatives: precariously adv. precariousness n. Etymology: L precarius: see PRAYER(1)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Precarious Pre*ca"ri*ous, a. [L. precarius obtained by begging or prayer, depending on request or on the will of another, fr. precari to pray, beg. See Pray.] 1. Depending on the will or pleasure of another; held by courtesy; liable to be changed or lost at the pleasure of another; as, precarious privileges. --Addison. 2. Held by a doubtful tenure; depending on unknown causes or events; exposed to constant risk; not to be depended on for certainty or stability; uncertain; as, a precarious state of health; precarious fortunes. ``Intervals of partial and precarious liberty.'' --Macaulay. Syn: Uncertain; unsettled; unsteady; doubtful; dubious; equivocal. Usage: Precarious, Uncertain. Precarious in stronger than uncertain. Derived originally from the Latin precari, it first signified ``granted to entreaty,'' and, hence, ``wholly dependent on the will of another.'' Thus it came to express the highest species of uncertainty, and is applied to such things as depend wholly on future casualties. -- Pre*ca"ri*ous*ly, adv. -- Pre*ca"ri*ous*ness, n.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

1. If your situation is precarious, you are not in complete control of events and might fail in what you are doing at any moment. Our financial situation had become precarious. ...the Government's precarious position. = uncertain ? secure ADJ • precariously The hunter-gatherer lifestyle today survives precariously in remote regions. ADV: ADV with v, ADV adj/adv • precariousness Wells was well aware of the precariousness of human life. N-UNCOUNT: usu N of n 2. Something that is precarious is not securely held in place and seems likely to fall or collapse at any moment. They looked rather comical as they crawled up precarious ladders. ADJ • precariously One of my grocery bags was still precariously perched on the car bumper. ADV: ADV with v, ADV adj/adv

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. Uncertain, unsettled, unsteady, doubtful, dubious, equivocal, insecure, not to be depended upon, unreliable, hazardous, perilous, risky, riskful, unassured.

Moby Thesaurus

ambiguous, borderline, chancy, critical, dangerous, delicate, desultory, dicey, difficult, doubtful, dubious, equivocal, hairy, hazardous, iffy, indecisive, infirm, insecure, insubstantial, on slippery ground, on thin ice, open, perilous, problematic, provisional, questionable, risky, sensitive, shaky, shifting, shifty, slippery, slippy, temporary, tentative, ticklish, touch-and-go, touchy, treacherous, tricky, uncertain, undependable, unfaithworthy, unpredictable, unreliable, unsettled, unsolid, unsound, unstable, unsteadfast, unsteady, unsubstantial, unsure, untrustworthy