precipitous

adjective

pre·​cip·​i·​tous pri-ˈsi-pə-təs How to pronounce precipitous (audio)
Synonyms of precipitous
1
: precipitate sense 2
2
a
: very steep, perpendicular, or overhanging in rise or fall
a precipitous slope
b
: having precipitous sides
a precipitous gorge
c
: having a very steep ascent
a precipitous street
precipitously adverb
precipitousness noun

Synonyms of precipitous

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus
Choose the Right Synonym for precipitous

steep, abrupt, precipitous, sheer mean having an incline approaching the perpendicular.

steep implies such sharpness of pitch that ascent or descent is very difficult.

a steep hill
a steep dive

abrupt implies a sharper pitch and a sudden break in the level.

a beach with an abrupt drop-off

precipitous applies to an incline approaching the vertical.

the river winds through a precipitous gorge

sheer suggests an unbroken perpendicular expanse.

sheer cliffs that daunted the climbers

Examples of precipitous in a Sentence

There has been a precipitous decline in home sales recently. People were shocked by his precipitous fall from political power.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Less an Italian island than a heady myth, this four-square-mile limestone dollop in the Tyrrhenian Sea has been a precipitous theatre to human nature since Roman times. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Sep. 2026 Amid a precipitous drop in domestic film and television production in recent years, Hollywood has coalesced around support for a federal tax credit. — Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 2026 Galliano, who rose to fame on the strength of his theatrical, feminine designs, suffered a precipitous fall from grace in 2011 after he was caught on camera making drunken antisemitic and anti-Asian remarks to a couple in a Paris cafe. — News Desk, Artforum, 31 Aug. 2026 Since then, the hangout sitcom has suffered a precipitous decline. — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for precipitous

Word History

Etymology

French précipiteux, from Middle French, from Latin precipitium precipice

First Known Use

1612, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of precipitous was in 1612

Rhymes for precipitous

See All Rhymes for precipitous

Browse Nearby Words

precipitious
precipitous
precipitously
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Precipitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/precipitous. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

precipitous

adjective
pre·​cip·​i·​tous pri-ˈsip-ət-əs How to pronounce precipitous (audio)
1
: showing unwise and unnecessary haste : rash
a precipitous act
2
: steep like a precipice
a precipitous slope
precipitously adverb
precipitousness noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gist

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All