precarious

precarious — adjective

1. not steady or reliable, with a real risk of becoming worse or suddenly ending

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

not steady or reliable, with a real risk of becoming worse or suddenly ending

Example

After two weak sales months, the cafe was in a precarious position.

in a precarious position

Mina stayed quiet because her visa status felt precarious.

precarious status

Common collocations
  • precarious situation
  • precarious position
  • precarious future
  • precarious job
Synonyms
  • uncertain

    stresses that the result or future is not known

  • insecure

    focuses on a lack of safety or protection

  • risky

    emphasizes danger in taking an action, not only weak stability

  • shaky

    more informal and often used for plans, finances, or support

Antonyms
  • secure

    safe from sudden loss or collapse

  • stable

    firm and likely to continue without serious change

  • certain

    stresses that the outcome or future is clear

Grammar Patterns

a precarious situation

a precarious position

a precarious future

become precarious

Usage Note

Common with situation, position, future, balance, job, and status. Distinguish from adjective/2, which usually describes something physically unsafe or badly supported.

Common Mistakes

The exam was precarious, so I studied all night.
My position in the class felt precarious, so I studied all night.
This sense describes an insecure situation or standing, not the test paper itself.

2. not firmly supported or balanced, so it could tip, drop, or put someone in dange

2.adjectiveC1
Definition

not firmly supported or balanced, so it could tip, drop, or put someone in danger

Example

The old ladder felt precarious on the wet kitchen floor.

feel precarious + place

A precarious pile of boxes leaned beside the shop door.

precarious + pile of objects

Common collocations
  • precarious ladder
  • precarious bridge
  • precarious pile
  • precarious shelf
Synonyms
  • unstable

    broad everyday word for not staying firm or steady

  • shaky

    more informal and often suggests visible movement

  • wobbly

    more vivid and often used for small objects that move from side to side

  • unsafe

    broader; may describe danger without the idea of weak support

Antonyms
  • stable

    firm and not likely to move or fall

  • secure

    fixed safely in place

Grammar Patterns

a precarious ladder

a precarious bridge

a precarious pile

feel precarious

Usage Note

Common with nouns for ladders, bridges, piles, shelves, and other things that may tip or fall. Distinguish from adjective/1, which is usually about jobs, plans, or situations rather than physical support.

Common Mistakes

The storm was precarious.
The old roof was precarious in the storm.
This sense describes something unstable or badly supported, not a dangerous event in general.

Word family

  • precariously
    adverbC2
  • precariousness
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Precarious suggests weak support and a real chance that a situation may suddenly get worse or fall apart. Uncertain is broader and only says the future is not clear. Insecure often focuses on a lack of protection or confidence, especially with jobs, borders, or personal feelings. Unstable can describe changeable systems, emotions, or governments, and it does not always suggest immediate danger. Risky usually points to an action that involves possible harm, rather than a condition already hanging by a thread. A job can be precarious, tomorrow's weather uncertain, a border insecure, a market unstable, and an investment risky.

precarious ↗uncertain ↗insecure ↗unstable ↗risky ↗

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Precarious comes from Latin precarius, a word for something gained by asking and kept only while another person allows it. Through French and then English, the idea widened from depending on another's favor to being uncertain, insecure, or unsafe.