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
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
Detroit saw a precipitous decline in the number of homicides and shootings in 2024 over the year before, continuing a trend of sliding violent crime since a pandemic-era spike, according to police data presented by city officials Friday.
—
Violet Ikonomova, Detroit Free Press, 3 Jan. 2025
The drop has been precipitous, too.
—Daniel Nugent-Bowman, The Athletic, 19 Jan. 2025
But the most precipitous drop really occurred upon our swift and effective implementation of the President's proclamation in June of 2024 that restricted the ability of individuals to claim asylum at our southern border.
—Steve Inskeep, NPR, 15 Jan. 2025
But that engagement drop was more tempered compared to 2021's precipitous year-over-year decline.
—Neal Rothschild, Axios, 14 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for precipitous
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Violet Ikonomova, Detroit Free Press, 3 Jan. 2025
The drop has been precipitous, too.
—Daniel Nugent-Bowman, The Athletic, 19 Jan. 2025
But the most precipitous drop really occurred upon our swift and effective implementation of the President's proclamation in June of 2024 that restricted the ability of individuals to claim asylum at our southern border.
—Steve Inskeep, NPR, 15 Jan. 2025
But that engagement drop was more tempered compared to 2021's precipitous year-over-year decline.
—Neal Rothschild, Axios, 14 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for precipitous
Cite this Entry
“Precipitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/precipitous. Accessed 19 Apr. 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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