Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Not securely held or in position; dangerously likely to fall or collapse: Describing something physically unstable or unsteady.
   • Dependent on chance; uncertain: Describing a situation that is not certain or reliable, often with a risk of failure or loss.
   • Fraught with physical danger: Describing a situation that is perilous or hazardous.

Usage and Examples

• Describing physical instability:

  • The ladder was in a precarious position against the wall.
  • He balanced the stack of books in a precarious manner.

• Describing an uncertain or risky situation:

  • The company's financial situation is precarious.
  • They made a precarious living from fishing.

• Describing a dangerous condition:

  • The climbers were in a precarious situation on the narrow ledge.
  • The ceasefire created only a precarious peace.

Advanced Usage and Nuances

• "Precarious" often implies a sense of instability that could lead to sudden negative change. It suggests a lack of security or safety.
• It can describe abstract concepts (like a ) as well as physical states (like a ).
• The word carries a connotation of anxiety or worry about the potential for collapse or failure.

Variants and Related Words

• Precariously (adverb): In a precarious manner.
  • The glass was perched precariously on the edge of the table.
• Precariousness (noun): The state of being precarious.
  • The precariousness of their existence was a constant worry.

Synonyms

• Unstable: Not firm or fixed; likely to change or fail.
• Insecure: Not firm or safe; liable to give way.
• Perilous: Full of danger or risk.
• Uncertain: Not able to be relied on; not known or definite.
• Touch-and-go: (Informal) Very uncertain or critical.

Antonyms

• Secure: Fixed or fastened so as not to give way, become loose, or be lost.
• Stable: Not likely to change or fail; firmly established.
• Safe: Protected from or not exposed to danger or risk.
• Certain: Known for sure; established beyond doubt.

Idiomatic Expressions and Phrases

• "A precarious balance/hold": A very unstable or delicate state of equilibrium or grip.
  • The treaty maintained a precarious balance of power in the region.
• "In a precarious state/position": In a risky, unstable, or dangerous condition.
  • After the scandal, the minister's career was in a precarious position.

Adjective

1. not secure; beset with difficulties
   • a shaky marriage
2. fraught with danger
   • dangerous waters
   • a parlous journey on stormy seas
   • a perilous voyage across the Atlantic in a small boat
   • the precarious life of an undersea diver
   • dangerous surgery followed by a touch-and-go recovery
3. affording no ease or reassurance
   • a precarious truce