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.

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

The already precarious labor market is being eviscerated by further automation.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026

We know the precarious nature of public service media companies whose traditional economic model relied on funding from advertising which has fallen dramatically in recent years.

From BBC • May 20, 2026

Oil prices were on track for another weekly gain as the global energy situation becomes more and more precarious.

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

I leave the key on the mantel, close the door, and push the precarious cart all the way across Przemyśl to Tatarska 3.

From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron

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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