precipitous

adjective

pre·​cip·​i·​tous pri-ˈsi-pə-təs 

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

• cursory
• drive-by
• flying
• gadarene
• hasty
• headlong
• helter-skelter
• hurried
• overhasty
• pell-mell
• precipitate
• rash
• rushed

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

No matter what, the drop-off from Milano to whoever joins the starting lineup is precipitous. —Joe Buscaglia, The Athletic, 15 Aug. 2024

Anticipating the precipitous drop in his army’s enrollment at the beginning of the new year, Washington had engaged in a furious letter-writing campaign in the fall of 1776 begging for more troops and supplies. —John Laycock, Baltimore Sun, 27 Dec. 2024

That’s resulted in a precipitous drop in border encounters nationwide since the peak of 370,000 in December 2023 to 205,000 in June, according to CBP data. —Connor Sheets, Los Angeles Times, 6 Dec. 2024

Meanwhile, along with the precipitous drop in sales, the company has laid off nearly 600 workers in two waves this year. —William Roberson, Forbes, 1 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

French précipiteux, from Middle French, from Latin precipitium precipice

First Known Use

1612, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids 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