Definition of precarious in English:

precarious

adjective prɪˈkɛːrɪəsprəˈkɛriəs

1Not securely held or in position; dangerously likely to fall or collapse.
不牢靠的，不稳的；易倒塌的
a precarious ladder
一个不牢靠的梯子。
Example sentencesExamples
- Are you ready to catch yourself, to tumble safely out of a precarious position?
- She watched in the rearview mirror as he fell from his precarious standing position on the trunk to crumple into the back seat.
- Since my perch on the social ladder was precarious, I had to make sure to watch my step and my mouth.
- But now they have gone out on such precarious limbs their positions are clearly untenable.
- Black vultures choose less precarious rocky perches on which to nest but join the lammergeiers on the thermals in their quest for food.
- The other stocking waves shyly from its precarious perch atop a tilted lampshade.
- Cyclists and drivers unperturbed by my precarious position skimmed past me in both directions.
- He closes his eyes tightly and tries to wrench himself out of his precarious position.
- By the time I returned, he was at the top of this precarious ladder cleaning windows.
- As I looked down from my precarious position next to a pile of honey on top of the Aga, I noticed two things.
- Adam looked skyward from his precarious position on a roof beam of the house he was building.
- Her position seemed ever more precarious by the minute, and it was clear that I would have to rescue her.
- Shooting out lights, opening and closing doors and leaping to precarious positions are all part of the game.
- In the distance small hamlets teetered on mountain ridges, seemingly ready to tumble off their precarious perch.
- Execute this one correctly or risk putting your shoulders in a very precarious position.
Synonyms
dangerous, hazardous, perilous, unsafe, risky, deceptive, unreliable, undependable, unstable
1. 1.1 Dependent on chance; uncertain.
  碰机会的；不确定的
  he made a precarious living as a painter
  她靠写作过着饔飧不继的日子。
  Example sentencesExamples
  Do any professional publishers understand, one wonders, how precarious their position is?
  As Finance Secretary I found that the finances of the state were in a precarious condition.
  And the world was hanging in a very precarious balance.
  They managed to scrape a precarious living from the eggs laid by that one hen.
  We learned about their precarious existence with nature and their love of the sea.
  But the amount of money they owe makes the situation more precarious than we are comfortable with.
  One would expect a bird living in the shadow of remote island volcanoes to lead a somewhat precarious existence.
  But today's results certainly emphasise the precarious state of the group's finances.
  You remember how precarious the company was after your father and grandfather died.
  If that is where you are this morning, your position is very precarious.
  Funding for professional athletes is based on medal winning, which seems precarious.
  After a somewhat precarious start, her husband had stable and prosperous business interests in Chicago.
  The situation is even more precarious this time around.
  We can see clearly the essence of despotism and the precarious nature of democracy.
  Yet, for all its parliamentary numbers, the government remains politically precarious.
  The divisions within Australian ruling circles are also being fuelled by the increasingly precarious position of the Australian economy.
  It's a tiny blob of lava that previously housed a small community, making a precarious living from fishing, on its rocky slopes.
  With cruel irony, as livelihoods became increasingly precarious, population totals soared.
  Given how precarious this recovery has been, policymakers won't rush to hike rates.
  In Hungary, there have been large and angry protests by farmers, whose livelihoods are becoming extremely precarious.
  Synonyms
  uncertain, insecure, unreliable, unsure, unpredictable, undependable, risky, hazardous, dangerous, unsafe, hanging by a thread, hanging in the balance, perilous, treacherous, on a slippery slope, on thin ice, touch-and-go, built on sand, doubtful, dubious, delicate, tricky, problematic
  unsettled, unstable, unsteady, shaky, rocky, wobbly
  informal dicey, chancy, hairy, iffy
  British informal dodgy
  archaic or humorous parlous

Derivatives

precariousness

noun prɪˈkɛːrɪəsnəsprəˈkɛriəsnəs

mass noun

1The state of being dangerously likely to fall or collapse.
不牢靠的，不稳的；易倒塌的
the precariousness of a cup placed on top of the plinth
1. 1.1 The state of being uncertain or dependent on chance.
Example sentencesExamples
- The figures, one numb and the other glib, stand on an adjacent set of tracks, which underlines the precariousness of their happy moment.
- I think there was a certainty of personal survival in the earlier poems, and so you worried about somebody else's precariousness or extinction.
- In this second outing, the source material - the perils and precariousness of young love - is much the same.
- the precariousness of privacy in the digital world

Origin

Mid 17th century: from Latin precarius 'obtained by entreaty' (from prex, prec- 'prayer') + -ous.

This is from Latin precarius ‘obtained by entreaty’, from prex, prec- ‘prayer’. The notion is one of something being dependent on the good grace of somebody else (needing entreaty), and therefore uncertain. Prayer (Middle English) is from the same word.

Rhymes

Aquarius, calcareous, Darius, denarius, gregarious, hilarious, multifarious, nefarious, omnifarious, Sagittarius, senarius, Stradivarius, temerarious, various, vicarious

Definition of precarious in US English:

precarious

adjectiveprəˈkerēəsprəˈkɛriəs

1Not securely held or in position; dangerously likely to fall or collapse.
不牢靠的，不稳的；易倒塌的
a precarious ladder
一个不牢靠的梯子。
Example sentencesExamples
- She watched in the rearview mirror as he fell from his precarious standing position on the trunk to crumple into the back seat.
- The other stocking waves shyly from its precarious perch atop a tilted lampshade.
- But now they have gone out on such precarious limbs their positions are clearly untenable.
- Cyclists and drivers unperturbed by my precarious position skimmed past me in both directions.
- In the distance small hamlets teetered on mountain ridges, seemingly ready to tumble off their precarious perch.
- Black vultures choose less precarious rocky perches on which to nest but join the lammergeiers on the thermals in their quest for food.
- By the time I returned, he was at the top of this precarious ladder cleaning windows.
- Adam looked skyward from his precarious position on a roof beam of the house he was building.
- He closes his eyes tightly and tries to wrench himself out of his precarious position.
- Are you ready to catch yourself, to tumble safely out of a precarious position?
- Since my perch on the social ladder was precarious, I had to make sure to watch my step and my mouth.
- Execute this one correctly or risk putting your shoulders in a very precarious position.
- Her position seemed ever more precarious by the minute, and it was clear that I would have to rescue her.
- As I looked down from my precarious position next to a pile of honey on top of the Aga, I noticed two things.
- Shooting out lights, opening and closing doors and leaping to precarious positions are all part of the game.
Synonyms
dangerous, hazardous, perilous, unsafe, risky, deceptive, unreliable, undependable, unstable
1. 1.1 Dependent on chance; uncertain.
  碰机会的；不确定的
  he made a precarious living as a painter
  她靠写作过着饔飧不继的日子。
  Example sentencesExamples
  And the world was hanging in a very precarious balance.
  Funding for professional athletes is based on medal winning, which seems precarious.
  It's a tiny blob of lava that previously housed a small community, making a precarious living from fishing, on its rocky slopes.
  If that is where you are this morning, your position is very precarious.
  The situation is even more precarious this time around.
  The divisions within Australian ruling circles are also being fuelled by the increasingly precarious position of the Australian economy.
  Do any professional publishers understand, one wonders, how precarious their position is?
  Yet, for all its parliamentary numbers, the government remains politically precarious.
  They managed to scrape a precarious living from the eggs laid by that one hen.
  One would expect a bird living in the shadow of remote island volcanoes to lead a somewhat precarious existence.
  In Hungary, there have been large and angry protests by farmers, whose livelihoods are becoming extremely precarious.
  But today's results certainly emphasise the precarious state of the group's finances.
  We learned about their precarious existence with nature and their love of the sea.
  But the amount of money they owe makes the situation more precarious than we are comfortable with.
  With cruel irony, as livelihoods became increasingly precarious, population totals soared.
  As Finance Secretary I found that the finances of the state were in a precarious condition.
  Given how precarious this recovery has been, policymakers won't rush to hike rates.
  We can see clearly the essence of despotism and the precarious nature of democracy.
  After a somewhat precarious start, her husband had stable and prosperous business interests in Chicago.
  You remember how precarious the company was after your father and grandfather died.
  Synonyms
  uncertain, insecure, unreliable, unsure, unpredictable, undependable, risky, hazardous, dangerous, unsafe, hanging by a thread, hanging in the balance, perilous, treacherous, on a slippery slope, on thin ice, touch-and-go, built on sand, doubtful, dubious, delicate, tricky, problematic

Origin

Mid 17th century: from Latin precarius ‘obtained by entreaty’ (from prex, prec- ‘prayer’) + -ous.

单词	precarious
释义	Definition of precarious in English: precarious adjective prɪˈkɛːrɪəsprəˈkɛriəs 1Not securely held or in position; dangerously likely to fall or collapse. 不牢靠的，不稳的；易倒塌的 a precarious ladder 一个不牢靠的梯子。 Example sentencesExamples Are you ready to catch yourself, to tumble safely out of a precarious position? She watched in the rearview mirror as he fell from his precarious standing position on the trunk to crumple into the back seat. Since my perch on the social ladder was precarious, I had to make sure to watch my step and my mouth. But now they have gone out on such precarious limbs their positions are clearly untenable. Black vultures choose less precarious rocky perches on which to nest but join the lammergeiers on the thermals in their quest for food. The other stocking waves shyly from its precarious perch atop a tilted lampshade. Cyclists and drivers unperturbed by my precarious position skimmed past me in both directions. He closes his eyes tightly and tries to wrench himself out of his precarious position. By the time I returned, he was at the top of this precarious ladder cleaning windows. As I looked down from my precarious position next to a pile of honey on top of the Aga, I noticed two things. Adam looked skyward from his precarious position on a roof beam of the house he was building. Her position seemed ever more precarious by the minute, and it was clear that I would have to rescue her. Shooting out lights, opening and closing doors and leaping to precarious positions are all part of the game. In the distance small hamlets teetered on mountain ridges, seemingly ready to tumble off their precarious perch. Execute this one correctly or risk putting your shoulders in a very precarious position. Synonyms dangerous, hazardous, perilous, unsafe, risky, deceptive, unreliable, undependable, unstable 1.1 Dependent on chance; uncertain. 碰机会的；不确定的 he made a precarious living as a painter 她靠写作过着饔飧不继的日子。 Example sentencesExamples Do any professional publishers understand, one wonders, how precarious their position is? As Finance Secretary I found that the finances of the state were in a precarious condition. And the world was hanging in a very precarious balance. They managed to scrape a precarious living from the eggs laid by that one hen. We learned about their precarious existence with nature and their love of the sea. But the amount of money they owe makes the situation more precarious than we are comfortable with. One would expect a bird living in the shadow of remote island volcanoes to lead a somewhat precarious existence. But today's results certainly emphasise the precarious state of the group's finances. You remember how precarious the company was after your father and grandfather died. If that is where you are this morning, your position is very precarious. Funding for professional athletes is based on medal winning, which seems precarious. After a somewhat precarious start, her husband had stable and prosperous business interests in Chicago. The situation is even more precarious this time around. We can see clearly the essence of despotism and the precarious nature of democracy. Yet, for all its parliamentary numbers, the government remains politically precarious. The divisions within Australian ruling circles are also being fuelled by the increasingly precarious position of the Australian economy. It's a tiny blob of lava that previously housed a small community, making a precarious living from fishing, on its rocky slopes. With cruel irony, as livelihoods became increasingly precarious, population totals soared. Given how precarious this recovery has been, policymakers won't rush to hike rates. In Hungary, there have been large and angry protests by farmers, whose livelihoods are becoming extremely precarious. Synonyms uncertain, insecure, unreliable, unsure, unpredictable, undependable, risky, hazardous, dangerous, unsafe, hanging by a thread, hanging in the balance, perilous, treacherous, on a slippery slope, on thin ice, touch-and-go, built on sand, doubtful, dubious, delicate, tricky, problematic unsettled, unstable, unsteady, shaky, rocky, wobbly informal dicey, chancy, hairy, iffy British informal dodgy archaic or humorous parlous Derivatives precariousness noun prɪˈkɛːrɪəsnəsprəˈkɛriəsnəs mass noun 1The state of being dangerously likely to fall or collapse. 不牢靠的，不稳的；易倒塌的 the precariousness of a cup placed on top of the plinth 1.1 The state of being uncertain or dependent on chance. Example sentencesExamples The figures, one numb and the other glib, stand on an adjacent set of tracks, which underlines the precariousness of their happy moment. I think there was a certainty of personal survival in the earlier poems, and so you worried about somebody else's precariousness or extinction. In this second outing, the source material - the perils and precariousness of young love - is much the same. the precariousness of privacy in the digital world Origin Mid 17th century: from Latin precarius 'obtained by entreaty' (from prex, prec- 'prayer') + -ous. This is from Latin precarius ‘obtained by entreaty’, from prex, prec- ‘prayer’. The notion is one of something being dependent on the good grace of somebody else (needing entreaty), and therefore uncertain. Prayer (Middle English) is from the same word. Rhymes Aquarius, calcareous, Darius, denarius, gregarious, hilarious, multifarious, nefarious, omnifarious, Sagittarius, senarius, Stradivarius, temerarious, various, vicarious Definition of precarious in US English: precarious adjectiveprəˈkerēəsprəˈkɛriəs 1Not securely held or in position; dangerously likely to fall or collapse. 不牢靠的，不稳的；易倒塌的 a precarious ladder 一个不牢靠的梯子。 Example sentencesExamples She watched in the rearview mirror as he fell from his precarious standing position on the trunk to crumple into the back seat. The other stocking waves shyly from its precarious perch atop a tilted lampshade. But now they have gone out on such precarious limbs their positions are clearly untenable. Cyclists and drivers unperturbed by my precarious position skimmed past me in both directions. In the distance small hamlets teetered on mountain ridges, seemingly ready to tumble off their precarious perch. Black vultures choose less precarious rocky perches on which to nest but join the lammergeiers on the thermals in their quest for food. By the time I returned, he was at the top of this precarious ladder cleaning windows. Adam looked skyward from his precarious position on a roof beam of the house he was building. He closes his eyes tightly and tries to wrench himself out of his precarious position. Are you ready to catch yourself, to tumble safely out of a precarious position? Since my perch on the social ladder was precarious, I had to make sure to watch my step and my mouth. Execute this one correctly or risk putting your shoulders in a very precarious position. Her position seemed ever more precarious by the minute, and it was clear that I would have to rescue her. As I looked down from my precarious position next to a pile of honey on top of the Aga, I noticed two things. Shooting out lights, opening and closing doors and leaping to precarious positions are all part of the game. Synonyms dangerous, hazardous, perilous, unsafe, risky, deceptive, unreliable, undependable, unstable 1.1 Dependent on chance; uncertain. 碰机会的；不确定的 he made a precarious living as a painter 她靠写作过着饔飧不继的日子。 Example sentencesExamples And the world was hanging in a very precarious balance. Funding for professional athletes is based on medal winning, which seems precarious. It's a tiny blob of lava that previously housed a small community, making a precarious living from fishing, on its rocky slopes. If that is where you are this morning, your position is very precarious. The situation is even more precarious this time around. The divisions within Australian ruling circles are also being fuelled by the increasingly precarious position of the Australian economy. Do any professional publishers understand, one wonders, how precarious their position is? Yet, for all its parliamentary numbers, the government remains politically precarious. They managed to scrape a precarious living from the eggs laid by that one hen. One would expect a bird living in the shadow of remote island volcanoes to lead a somewhat precarious existence. In Hungary, there have been large and angry protests by farmers, whose livelihoods are becoming extremely precarious. But today's results certainly emphasise the precarious state of the group's finances. We learned about their precarious existence with nature and their love of the sea. But the amount of money they owe makes the situation more precarious than we are comfortable with. With cruel irony, as livelihoods became increasingly precarious, population totals soared. As Finance Secretary I found that the finances of the state were in a precarious condition. Given how precarious this recovery has been, policymakers won't rush to hike rates. We can see clearly the essence of despotism and the precarious nature of democracy. After a somewhat precarious start, her husband had stable and prosperous business interests in Chicago. You remember how precarious the company was after your father and grandfather died. Synonyms uncertain, insecure, unreliable, unsure, unpredictable, undependable, risky, hazardous, dangerous, unsafe, hanging by a thread, hanging in the balance, perilous, treacherous, on a slippery slope, on thin ice, touch-and-go, built on sand, doubtful, dubious, delicate, tricky, problematic Origin Mid 17th century: from Latin precarius ‘obtained by entreaty’ (from prex, prec- ‘prayer’) + -ous.
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