precarious

CEFRC1

/pɹɪˈkɛəɹi.əs/

adjective

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    adjective

    Not safe, certain, or firmly held; likely to fail.

  2. 02

    adjective

    Extra detail

    Depending on the intention of another.

Examples

  • The diplomats are in a precarious position.

  • The first-time precarious fisherman lazily fished dangerous poisonous fish, but soon stopped to shell peas.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
4
Parts of speech
1
Citations
4
Synonyms
5

Deep Dive

adjective

Extra meanings

  1. Relating to incipient caries.

  2. Dangerously insecure or unstable; perilous.

More examples

In context

  • Never had he been so fond of this body of his as now when his tenure of it was so precarious.

  • The existence of Jewish partisans was precarious. They lived from hand to mouth, stealing when necessary, arranging secret deliveries of food, and spending hours and even days in holes in the ground when danger threatened.

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The tall stack of plates on the counter was so blank that it could fall.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

adjective

From Latin precārius (“begged for, obtained by entreaty”), from prex, precis (“prayer”). Compare French précaire, Portuguese precário, and Spanish and Italian precario.