precariously

adverb

pre·​car·​i·​ous·​ly pri-ˈker-ē-əs-lē How to pronounce precariously (audio)
: in a precarious manner
These birds suspend their nests precariously among fine twigs …Michael Hansell
… the privilege of a tiny, precariously poised minority.Derek Bickerton
Waiters in white shirts and black vests roamed, trays balanced precariously but with utmost precision.Noah Charney
… it's now balancing precariously on the brink of extinction and has become the first-ever bumblebee to be declared endangered in the US.Laura Dennison

Examples of precariously in a Sentence

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.
The man, who was barefoot and wearing all black, clung precariously to the side of the tower – home to one of the world’s most famous clocks – as the fire brigade attempted to speak with him. Billy Stockwell, CNN, 8 Mar. 2025 The sculpture had become precariously attached to its base, with deteriorating hands and feet. David Bloom, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025 The monastery is also home to pink-robe-wearing novice monks, who train at Taung Kalat, and yetis, or hermit monks, who glide in their peaked caps in quiet contemplation across the precariously balanced complex. Shoshi Parks, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Jan. 2025 Who knows what prompted Camille Claudel, at 20, to take a blade to the clay model of her sculpture of a headless crouching nude, tilting to one side and balanced precariously on rough feet? Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for precariously

Word History

First Known Use

1646, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of precariously was in 1646

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Cite this Entry

“Precariously.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/precariously. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.

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