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.

But economic life along Route 66 has been precarious since the late 1960s, when interstate highways and chain hotels began stealing traffic away from the older, slower road.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026

"There are a lot of very precarious and vulnerable people in their 60s and 70s," she added.

From BBC • May 25, 2026

Airlines are once again in a precarious position.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 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

Funny, he knew Leon was in a precarious position and yet there was always the danger of underestimating him.

From "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier

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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