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.

Poor living conditions in Bangladesh however have also prompted some Rohingya to make precarious journeys on overcrowded vessels to Malaysia, a Muslim country which some envision to be a safe haven in the region.

From BBC • 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

The situation is so precarious that Prime Minister Koo Yun Cheol has suggested that, for the first time in 35 years, driving restrictions may be imposed on the public to restrict energy consumption.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

His position looks precarious, even though he’s holding on to the railing with both hands.

From "Everything, Everything" by Nicola Yoon

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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