precariously
Americanadverb
-
in an unstable, uncertain, or insecure way.
The two archrivals sit precariously balanced at the top of the league, either one likely to fall in the standings at any time.
-
in a way that is dependent on the will of others.
They live precariously, subject to arrest by immigration authorities, and with taxes withheld from paychecks that they cannot reclaim.
-
in a way that is risky or dangerous; perilously.
He steadies the canoe as his son stands precariously in the bow, aiming his spear toward the river.
Other Word Forms
- superprecariously adverb
- unprecariously adverb
Etymology
Origin of precariously
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.
They were stacked right up against the fireplace, where flames snapped precariously.
From Literature
You might remember in February 2014 that the track was left dangling precariously high in the air as storms washed away the protecting sea wall.
From BBC
The only way I got to a wedding in Istanbul was by sitting precariously on top of my carry-on bag, the most uncomfortable 10 hours of my life.
From Los Angeles Times
Sajili said he was awoken by a fellow passenger as the triple-decker ferry began to tilt precariously.
From Barron's
Germans ignored it out of shame; Jews, living precariously in exile, rejected it as too assimilated and bourgeois.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
