adj · neutral
precarious
UK/prɪˈkeəriəs/US/prɪˈkeriəs/pre·CAR·ious
not securely held or in position; dangerously likely to fall or collapse; uncertain
Examples
“Many families are in a precarious financial position after losing work.”
“The hikers walked along a precarious path on the cliff.”
“The agreement left the company in a precarious situation.”
Band 8 sentence
“Many freelancers live with precarious incomes, which makes long-term commitments like mortgages difficult.”
Collocations
- precarious position
- precarious balance
- precarious situation
Word family
Common mistakes
He was in a precarious situation of losing his job.→He was in a precarious situation regarding his job.
The market became precariously after the announcement.→The market became precarious after the announcement.
Say it for a higher band
5risky→6unstable→7+precarious
Synonyms
unstable
risky
Easily confused
vulnerable
“Low-income households are particularly vulnerable to sudden price increases.”
Related words
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In -ous
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