precipitous — extremely steep; dangerously high or sheer
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: extremely steep; dangerously high or sheer
Pronunciation (IPA): /prɪˈsɪpɪtəs/
Example Sentences
- The company's stock price took a precipitous dive after the scandal broke.
- She made a precipitous decision to dye her hair bright purple the night before her job interview.
- The precipitous mountain path made even experienced hikers nervous.
precipitous
ADJECTIVE[/prɪˈsɪpɪtəs/]
extremely steep; dangerously high or sheer
A precipitous cliff edge where a hiker clings to safety rope
Standing at the precipitous edge where the birds soar with liberty, yet superstitious warnings echo in stone—danger and freedom dance as one
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Latin 'praeceps' meaning 'headlong' or 'steep', which combines 'prae-' (before) and 'ceps' (head). The word entered English through French influence, initially describing physical steepness and later extended to mean dangerously sudden or abrupt.
Breakdown
praeceps (headlong/steep) + -ous (adjective suffix meaning 'full of') = precipitous
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The company's stock price took a precipitous dive after the scandal broke.”
“She made a precipitous decision to dye her hair bright purple the night before her job interview.”
“The precipitous mountain path made even experienced hikers nervous.”
“His precipitous exit from the boring meeting involved jumping out the window (it was on the first floor).”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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