precariousness

noun

pre·​car·​i·​ous·​ness pri-ˈker-ē-əs-nəs 

: the state or condition of being precarious

The noise, the dashing of the waters, … the precariousness of their footing, for there was scarce room for them to stand on the shelf of rock which they had thus attained …

—Sir Walter Scott

… at a time when a single night of predation could ruin a family, wolves were a constant reminder of the precariousness of frontier life.

—Betsy Carpenter and Lisa Busch

… has to keep up an air of high spirits through a daily struggle with his own illiteracy and the precariousness of his employment.

—George Bernard Shaw

His knowledge is fragmentary, his righteousness is illusory, his motives are tainted, but, aware of the precariousness of human striving, he must strive nevertheless.

—Arthur Meier Schlesinger

Synonyms

• insecurity
• instability
• shakiness
• unstableness
• unsteadiness

Examples of precariousness in a Sentence

she quickly moved the china teapot after noticing its precariousness on the shelf

Recent Examples on the Web

The mother’s passing and the 2008 financial collapse contributed to the precariousness that’s put them in this predicament. —Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 23 Jan. 2025

Phillip and Claire had both grown up nearby amid the region’s annual wildfires, and Phillip, an architect, understood the precariousness of building a home in Malibu, on nature’s wild edge. —Eli Saslow, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2025

The precariousness of the deal was highlighted even before the fighting stopped. —Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 2025

However, the precariousness of their existence was clear. —Scott Travers, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1666, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for precariousness

• gregariousness