Precipitous

Practice This Word

Extremely steep or vertical; also describes something done or occurring very quickly and without careful consideration.

adjective

Precipitous

Extremely steep or vertical; also describes something done or occurring very quickly and without careful consideration.

adjective

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Imagine This

Imagine walking along a mountain path that drops off at a near-vertical angle; one misstep could send you tumbling down a dangerous precipice.

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Sounds Like

PRIH-SIP-i-tuhs

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Looks Like

Looks like: precipice; resembles the words precipitate and precipitation

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Remember This

Derived from Latin praecipitare meaning 'to fall headlong'; related to precipice and precipitate.

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Other Forms

precipitousnessnoun

precipitouslyadverb

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Connect With

steep, abrupt, sudden, sharp; precipice, cliff; decline, fall

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Note

Commonly used to describe both physical steepness (a precipitous slope) and abrupt, rash actions (a precipitous decision). Context will indicate which meaning is intended.

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Study Deeper

Examples

The hikers faced a precipitous trail that required careful footing along a sheer rock face.
Sales plummeted in a precipitous drop after the scandal came to light.

Synonyms

steepsheerabruptsuddensharp

Antonyms

gradualmoderatesteady

Etymology

From Latin praecipitare 'to fall headlong', from prae- 'before' + caput 'head'.

Mnemonic

Precipitous = PRECI-PIT-ous: picture a path so steep you must imagine stepping into a pit; one wrong move could send you headlong—precipitous means steep or abrupt.

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