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
Synonyms
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
Most residents hitting bureaucratic hurdles needed septic upgrades, or had precipitous terrain and landslide risk, said David Reid, director of the county’s Office of Response, Recovery & Resilience.
—
Ethan Baron, The Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2025
However, the public’s trust in medical leaders has been on a precipitous decline in recent decades.
—Daniel T. Kim, The Conversation, 4 Feb. 2025
Urchins eat kelp, and the boom in urchin numbers has meant precipitous declines in kelp forests, which are vital for hundreds of other species — from phytoplankton to gray whales.
—Kale Williams, Axios, 29 Jan. 2025
The change in approach comes after a precipitous falloff in the U.K.’s overseas-aid spending in recent years and is nothing like the ambitious poverty-reduction agenda of the previous Labour government.
—Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2025
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Ethan Baron, The Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2025
However, the public’s trust in medical leaders has been on a precipitous decline in recent decades.
—Daniel T. Kim, The Conversation, 4 Feb. 2025
Urchins eat kelp, and the boom in urchin numbers has meant precipitous declines in kelp forests, which are vital for hundreds of other species — from phytoplankton to gray whales.
—Kale Williams, Axios, 29 Jan. 2025
The change in approach comes after a precipitous falloff in the U.K.’s overseas-aid spending in recent years and is nothing like the ambitious poverty-reduction agenda of the previous Labour government.
—Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for precipitous
Articles Related to precipitous
Dictionary Entries Near precipitous
Cite this Entry
“Precipitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/precipitous. Accessed 13 Feb. 2025.
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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