Synonym Chooser

How is the word precipitous different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of precipitous are abrupt, sheer, and steep. While all these words mean "having an incline approaching the perpendicular," precipitous applies to an incline approaching the vertical.

the river winds through a precipitous gorge

When might abrupt be a better fit than precipitous?

The meanings of abrupt and precipitous largely overlap; however, abrupt implies a sharper pitch and a sudden break in the level.

a beach with an abrupt drop-off

When is sheer a more appropriate choice than precipitous?

In some situations, the words sheer and precipitous are roughly equivalent. However, sheer suggests an unbroken perpendicular expanse.

sheer cliffs that daunted the climbers

When would steep be a good substitute for precipitous?

The synonyms steep and precipitous are sometimes interchangeable, but steep implies such sharpness of pitch that ascent or descent is very difficult.

a steep hill
a steep dive

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of precipitous Low-cost interventions that Chicago and other cities have added to select streets in the last two decades to make school routes safer for students to walk and bike to school have brought communities lasting benefits — and spurred a precipitous decline in injuries, experts say. Sarah MacAraeg, Chicago Tribune, 13 Jan. 2025 Temporary help services have been adding jobs for the past two months after a long and precipitous slide, in a potential sign that employers are bringing on contingent labor to address surges in demand. Lydia Depillis, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025 The renewable energy transition – intended to stave off the worst of global climate change – is causing a precipitous rise in the demand for lithium, copper, nickel and the other metallic ingredients of solar panels, wind turbines and batteries. Kate S. Petersen, USA TODAY, 1 Dec. 2024 Most residents hitting bureaucratic hurdles needed septic upgrades, or had precipitous terrain and landslide risk, said David Reid, director of the county’s Office of Response, Recovery & Resilience. Ethan Baron, The Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for precipitous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for precipitous
Adjective
  • Photography by Christopher Lee Every morning taquerias throughout San Antonio fill with construction workers, nurses in scrubs, college students, and hurried families, all finding salvation in an iconic staple: the breakfast taco.
    Edmund Tijerina, Bon Appétit, 27 Feb. 2025
  • Macron has taken a leading role in Europe's push to keep Trump from cutting a hurried deal to end the Ukraine war that legitimizes Vladimir Putin and rewards the Russian invasion.
    Francesca Chambers, USA TODAY, 26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • The current de facto Moroccan sovereignty only prolongs Sahrawis’ exile, and an escalation would carry steep costs for all sides.
    Hannah Rae Armstrong, Foreign Affairs, 4 Mar. 2025
  • Bitcoin, a market bellwether, fell 18% in February — its steepest drop since June 2022.
    Alexandra Banner, CNN, 4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Escaping a sudden, massive flood, a smart, mischievous black cat clambers aboard a boat shared by a dog, a capybara, and a lemur, as well as a long-legged secretary bird.
    Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 2 Mar. 2025
  • As big of a star as The Rock is, his sudden inclusion in Rhodes’ road to WrestleMania seems both forced and unnecessary, especially after their equally strange interaction on Raw’s Netflix premiere.
    Blake Oestriecher, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Financial preparedness gives you the freedom to make informed choices, not just impulsive ones.
    Marc Shaffer, Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2025
  • Just be cautious with impulsive purchases or big-money decisions.
    Valerie Mesa, People.com, 3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The nuclear dilemma makes Tehran’s position all the more fraught, by likely forcing it into a headlong confrontation with the Trump White House.
    Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025
  • This headlong, hyper-nuanced account of a teenage girl’s first love fuses the interiority of novels and the sensuous embrace of cinema in ways that other films fumble.
    Nicolas Rapold, Deadline, 22 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Such hasty efforts at downsizing consistently failed, Drucker warned, even in the private sector.
    Jacob Bruggeman & Casey Eilbert / Made by History, TIME, 3 Mar. 2025
  • As major food and beverage conglomerates are beating a hasty retreat from their previous ESG, sustainability and DEI commitments, The Purpose Pledge is pointing a new way forward.
    Errol Schweizer, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Vasculitis rash: Vasculitis is a condition that causes blood vessels underneath the skin to swell.
    Cristina Mutchler, Health, 6 Mar. 2025
  • Across the board, a measles rash also tends to give skin a pebbly or sandpapery texture as the spots multiply and get more consolidated, Dr. Lovins says.
    Erica Sloan, SELF, 28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • This is the Republican Party under Trump: shrugging off the well-being of Veterans while pushing reckless cuts.
    Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2025
  • He was arrested on charges of disobeying the signal of an officer, failure to maintain lane, reckless driving, passing on the right, interfering with an officer and first-degree reckless endangerment.
    Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 3 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Precipitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/precipitous. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.

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