English-Thai Dictionary

precarious

ADJ ที่ ไม่ปลอดภัย  ไม่มั่นคง  ใกล้ อันตราย  doubtful uncertain ti-mai-prod-pai

 

precariously

ADV อย่าง ไม่ปลอดภัย  ไม่มั่นคง  ใกล้ อันตราย  dangerously seriously yang-mai-prod-pai

 

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PRECARIOUS

a.[L. precarius, from precor, to pray or entreat; primarily, depending on request, or on the will of another. ] 1. Depending on the will or pleasure of another; held by courtesy liable to be changed or lost at the pleasure of another. A privilege depending on another's will is precarious, or held by a precarious tenure.
2. Uncertain; held by a doubtful tenure; depending on unknown or unforeseen causes or events. Temporal prosperity is precarious; personal advantages, health, strength and beauty are all precarious, depending on a thousand accidents.
We say also, the weather is precarious; a phrase in which we depart not more from the primary sense of the word, than we do in a large part of all the words in the language.

 

PRECARIOUSLY

adv. At the will or pleasure of others; dependently; by an uncertain tenure; as, he subsists precariously.

 

PRECARIOUSNESS

n.Uncertainty; dependence on the will or pleasure of others, or on unknown events; as the precariousness of life or health.

 

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

PRECARIOUS

Pre *ca "ri *ous, a. Etym: [L. precarius obtained by begging or prayer, depending on request or on the will of another, fr. precari to pray, beg. See Pray. ]

 

1. Depending on the will or pleasure of another; held by courtesy; liable to be changed or lost at the pleasure of another; as, precarious privileges. Addison.

 

2. Held by a doubtful tenure; depending on unknown causes or events; exposed to constant risk; not to be depended on for certainty or stability; uncertain; as, a precarious state of health; precarious fortunes. "Intervals of partial and precarious liberty. " Macaulay.

 

Syn. -- Uncertain; unsettled; unsteady; doubtful; dubious; equivocal. -- Precarious, Uncertain. Precarious in stronger than uncertain. Derived originally from the Latin precari, it first signified "granted to entreaty, " and, hence, "wholly dependent on the will of another. " Thus it came to express the highest species of uncertainty, and is applied to such things as depend wholly on future casualties. -- Pre *ca "ri *ous *ly, adv. -- Pre *ca "ri *ous *ness, n.

 

New American Oxford Dictionary

precarious

pre car i ous |priˈke (ə )rēəs prəˈkɛriəs | ▶adjective 1 not securely held or in position; dangerously likely to fall or collapse: a precarious ladder. 2 dependent on chance; uncertain: she made a precarious living by writing. DERIVATIVES pre car i ous ly adverb, pre car i ous ness noun ORIGIN mid 17th cent.: from Latin precarius ‘obtained by entreaty ’ (from prex, prec- ‘prayer ’) + -ous .

 

Oxford Dictionary

precarious

pre ¦car |ious |prɪˈkɛːrɪəs | ▶adjective not securely held or in position; dangerously likely to fall or collapse: a precarious ladder. • dependent on chance; uncertain: he made a precarious living as a painter. DERIVATIVES precariously adverb, precariousness noun ORIGIN mid 17th cent.: from Latin precarius ‘obtained by entreaty ’ (from prex, prec- ‘prayer ’) + -ous .

 

American Oxford Thesaurus

precarious

precarious adjective those steps look a bit precarious: uncertain, insecure, unpredictable, risky, parlous, hazardous, dangerous, unsafe; unsettled, unstable, unsteady, shaky; informal dicey, chancy, iffy. ANTONYMS safe.

 

Oxford Thesaurus

precarious

precarious adjective the club's precarious financial position: uncertain, insecure, unreliable, unsure, unpredictable, undependable, risky, hazardous, dangerous, unsafe, hanging by a thread, hanging in the balance, perilous, treacherous, on a slippery slope, on thin ice, touch-and-go, built on sand, doubtful, dubious, delicate, tricky, problematic; unsettled, unstable, unsteady, shaky, rocky, wobbly; informal dicey, chancy, hairy, iffy; Brit. informal dodgy; archaic or humorous parlous. ANTONYMS safe, secure.

 

Sanseido Wisdom Dictionary

precarious

pre car i ous /prɪké ə riəs /形容詞 ｟かたく ｠1 〈状況 立場などが 〉不安定な, 危うい (uncertain, unstable ).2 〈物が 〉 (安定が悪く )落ちそうな, 倒れそうな ; 足場が悪い .3 根拠のない, いいかげんな .4 ｟古 ｠相手の心次第の .～ly 副詞 ～ness 名詞