precariously

adverb

pre·​car·​i·​ous·​ly pri-ˈker-ē-əs-lē 

: 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

Homes had tarps on the roofs, trees leaned precariously on houses and some roads were still blocked. —Amy Lavalley, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2025

Nearby, a partially split tree leaned precariously over gravestones at the edge of a cemetery. —Robert Shackelford, CNN, 17 Mar. 2025

Eventually left needing to convert from almost 25 feet to avoid another bogey, Spaun knocked a fizzing putt that rolled precariously around the cup before dropping in. —Jack Bantock, CNN, 15 Mar. 2025

It's believed that a dead stellar remnant, or white dwarf, could be spinning precariously on the edge of the black hole, causing the explosions of high-energy light. —Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 14 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1646, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for precariously

• hilariously
• vicariously
• variously