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 Loading your audio article The 49ers took a precipitous dip in terms of performance in 2024 but there wasn’t much slippage in terms of how the organization is viewed by its players. Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2025 Summer sun breaks reveal vistas of precipitous slopes mantled in deep green grasses — with distant volcanic peaks shrouded in snow. ProPublica, 13 Feb. 2025 Goldin adds another factor into the mix to explain why some countries have seen a more precipitous decline in birth rates and others have only seen slower declines: the speed of economic growth. Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 28 Jan. 2025 America has already lost its global competitive edge in science, and funding cuts proposed in early 2025 may further a precipitous decline. Chris Impey, The Conversation, 17 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for precipitous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for precipitous
Adjective
  • By contrast, Spencer crossing the ocean in the space of an hour feels downright hurried.
    Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2025
  • 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
Adjective
  • Online education officers respond that their programs face steep startup costs and need expensive technology specialists and infrastructure.
    Jon Marcus, NPR, 15 Mar. 2025
  • But shortly into his second term in office, the polls signal frustration over steep losses in the stock market and a potential trade war with some of America’s closest allies.
    Jared Gans, The Hill, 15 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • While the viral video captures the unsettling reality of sudden turbulence, industry statistics highlight the overall safety of modern commercial flights.
    Mark Davis, Newsweek, 14 Mar. 2025
  • Symptoms can include a sudden, severe headache, vomiting, neck stiffness and numbness or weakness on one side of the body or the face.
    Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 14 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 Trump administration may sell several federal properties in Fort Worth and Dallas as a part of its headlong attempt to slash federal spending.
    Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Mar. 2025
  • 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
Adjective
  • An advancing inferno may call for hasty felling of trees to create firebreaks.
    Albert C. Lin, The Conversation, 13 Mar. 2025
  • Be patient in communication and avoid making hasty decisions.
    Danijela Pilic, Glamour, 13 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
  • She was arrested and charged with assault in the first degree, kidnapping in the second degree, unlawful restraint in the first degree, cruelty to persons and reckless endangerment in the first degree on March 12.
    Escher Walcott, People.com, 15 Mar. 2025
  • In January a Bronx jury found Officer Kenneth Hood, 38, guilty of reckless endangerment and official misconduct for the incident in the George R. Vierno Center on Nov. 27, 2019, which left 18-year-old Nicholas Feliciano paralyzed.
    Roni Jacobson, New York Daily News, 15 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Precipitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/precipitous. Accessed 20 Mar. 2025.

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