PRECARIOUS: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for PRECARIOUS?

Need another word that means the same as “precarious”? Find 24 synonyms and 30 related words for “precarious” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Precarious” are: shaky, unstable, parlous, perilous, touch-and-go, dangerous, hazardous, unsafe, risky, deceptive, unreliable, undependable, uncertain, insecure, unsure, unpredictable, treacherous, on a slippery slope, on thin ice, doubtful, dubious, delicate, tricky, problematic

Precarious as an Adjective

Definitions of "Precarious" as an adjective

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “precarious” as an adjective can have the following definitions:

• Fraught with danger.
• Not secure; beset with difficulties.
• Affording no ease or reassurance.
• Not securely held or in position; dangerously likely to fall or collapse.
• Dependent on chance; uncertain.

Synonyms of "Precarious" as an adjective (24 Words)

dangerous	Causing fear or anxiety by threatening great harm. A dangerous animal.
deceptive	Designed to deceive or mislead either deliberately or inadvertently. He put the question with deceptive casualness.
delicate	Of an instrument or device; capable of registering minute differences or changes precisely. A delicate sweet flavour.
doubtful	Not known with certainty. I was doubtful of my judgement.
dubious	Morally suspect. What one found uncertain the other found dubious or downright false.
hazardous	Risky; dangerous. It is hazardous to personal safety.
insecure	Not firm or fixed; liable to give way or break. A top model who is notoriously insecure about her looks.
on a slippery slope	Not to be trusted- James Agee.
on thin ice	Lacking resonance or volume.
parlous	Fraught with danger. A parlous journey on stormy seas.
perilous	Exposed to imminent risk of disaster or ruin. A perilous voyage across the Atlantic in a small boat.
problematic	Constituting or presenting a problem. The situation was problematic for teachers.
risky	Full of the possibility of danger, failure, or loss. It was much too risky to try to disarm him.
shaky	Not secure; beset with difficulties. Thoroughly shaky evidence.
touch-and-go	Functioning correctly and ready for action.
treacherous	Tending to betray especially having a treacherous character as attributed to the Carthaginians by the Romans. Memory is particularly treacherous.
tricky	Not to be trusted- James Agee. A tricky recipe to follow.
uncertain	Not established beyond doubt; still undecided or unknown. Moving with uncertain or unsure steps.
undependable	Liable to be erroneous or misleading. An undependable generalization.
unpredictable	Not occurring at expected times. The unpredictable weather of the Scottish islands.
unreliable	Dangerously unstable and unpredictable. He s lazy and unreliable.
unsafe	Not safe from attack. Because the confession was unreliable the verdict was unsafe and unsatisfactory.
unstable	Prone to psychiatric problems or sudden changes of mood. An unstable government.
unsure	Lacking or indicating lack of confidence or assurance. A very unsure young man.

Usage Examples of "Precarious" as an adjective

• He made a precarious living as a painter.
• A precarious truce.
• A precarious ladder.
• The precarious life of an undersea diver.

Associations of "Precarious" (30 Words)

anxiety	Strong desire or concern to do something or for something to happen. The housekeeper s eager anxiety to please.
chill	Chilly. He was confined to bed with a severe chill.
danger	A dangerous place. He moved out of danger.
dangerous	Involving or causing danger or risk; liable to hurt or harm. A dangerous criminal.
dicey	Unpredictable and potentially dangerous. An extremely dicey future on a brave new world of liquid nitrogen tar and smog.
hazardous	Involving risk or danger. Skydiving is a hazardous sport.
insecure	Not firm or firmly fixed; likely to fail or give way. Badly paid and insecure jobs.
insecurity	The state of being open to danger or threat; lack of protection. Growing job insecurity.
insidious	Working or spreading in a hidden and usually injurious way. Sexual harassment is a serious and insidious problem.
parlous	Full of danger or uncertainty; precarious. A parlous journey on stormy seas.
perilous	Exposed to imminent risk of disaster or ruin. The economy is in a perilous state.
rickety	Lacking bodily or muscular strength or vitality. A rickety table.
risk	Take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome. All risks insurance for professional photographers.
risky	Not financially safe or secure. Anything that promises to pay too much can t help being risky.
shaky	Inclined to shake as from weakness or defect. She managed a shaky laugh.
shivering	The action of shaking slightly and uncontrollably as a result of being cold, frightened, or excited. Sparkling light from the shivering crystals of the chandelier.
straddle	Stand, walk, or sit with one’s legs wide apart. A sideways on stance such as a straddle.
threatened	Likely in the near future to become endangered. The spotted owl is a threatened species not yet an endangered one.
uncertain	(of a person) not completely confident or sure of something. I was uncertain how to proceed.
uncertainty	The state of being uncertain. Times of uncertainty and danger.
uneasy	(of a situation or relationship) not settled; liable to change. She lived in a state of uneasy truce with her strict father.
unrest	A feeling of disturbance and dissatisfaction in a person. Years of industrial unrest.
unsafe	Involving or causing danger or risk; liable to hurt or harm. Drinking water in some areas may be unsafe.
unsettled	Worried and uneasy. A spell of unsettled weather.
unsound	Physically unsound or diseased. This line of argument is unsound.
unstable	Likely to change or fail; not firmly established. Sensitive and highly unstable compounds.
unsteady	Not firmly or solidly positioned. Her unsteady walk.
volatile	A volatile substance. A passionate volatile young man.
volatility	Liability to display rapid changes of emotion. A week of historic stock market volatility.
vulnerable	(of a partnership) liable to higher penalties, either by convention or through having won one game towards a rubber. We were in a vulnerable position.