precipitous
adjective
pre·cip·i·tous
pri-ˈsi-pə-təs 
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
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
The $310,000 in business tax receipts collected by the county last year was a precipitous drop from 2024, when the fees brought in $409,456.
—
Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Feb. 2026
Lewis was tasked partly with reversing a precipitous decline in readership and annual losses in the tens of millions.
—Dennis Romero, NBC news, 7 Feb. 2026
That’s a precipitous decline in the trade preference program’s utilization rate.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 5 Feb. 2026
Jiménez is long gone, and so is every other uniformed person on that Sox team that had high hopes and a precipitous decline.
—Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for precipitous
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Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Feb. 2026
Lewis was tasked partly with reversing a precipitous decline in readership and annual losses in the tens of millions.
—Dennis Romero, NBC news, 7 Feb. 2026
That’s a precipitous decline in the trade preference program’s utilization rate.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 5 Feb. 2026
Jiménez is long gone, and so is every other uniformed person on that Sox team that had high hopes and a precipitous decline.
—Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for precipitous
Cite this Entry
“Precipitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/precipitous. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
precipitous
adjective
pre·cip·i·tous
pri-ˈsip-ət-əs
1
: showing unwise and unnecessary haste : rash
a precipitous act
2
: steep like a precipice
a precipitous slope
precipitously
adverb
precipitousness
noun
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