- steep like a precipice; sheer
- having precipices
- precipitate
Origin of precipitous
Middle French precipiteux from Late Latin an unverified form precipitosus from Classical Latin praeceps: see precipice
A family climbing a precipitous cliff.
The definition of precipitous is something very steep.
An example of precipitous is a cliff that requires climbing gear to get to the top.
YourDictionary definition and usage example. Copyright © 2018 by LoveToKnow Corp
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"precipitous." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 22 March 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/precipitous>.
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precipitous. (n.d.). Retrieved March 22nd, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/precipitous
precipitous
Webster's New World College Dictionary, Fifth Edition Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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MLA Style
"precipitous." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 22 March 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/precipitous>.
APA Style
precipitous. (n.d.). Retrieved March 22nd, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/precipitous
precipitous
adjective
- Resembling a precipice; extremely steep. See Synonyms at steep1.
- Having several precipices: a precipitous bluff.
- Extremely rapid, hasty, or abrupt; precipitate: a precipitous collapse in prices. See Usage Note at precipitate.
Origin of precipitous
Probably from obsolete precipitious from Latin praecipitium precipice ; see precipice .Related Forms:
- pre·cip′i·tous·ly
adverb
- pre·cip′i·tous·ness
noun
THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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MLA Style
"precipitous." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 22 March 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/precipitous>.
APA Style
precipitous. (n.d.). Retrieved March 22nd, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/precipitous
Adjective
- Steep, like a precipice; as, a precipitous cliff or mountain.
- Headlong; as, precipitous fall.
- Hasty; rash; quick; sudden; precipitate; as, precipitous attempts.
Part or all of this entry has been imported from the 1913 edition of Webster's Dictionary, which is now free of copyright and hence in the public domain. The imported definitions may be significantly out of date, and any more recent senses may be completely missing.
English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.
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Cite this page
MLA Style
"precipitous." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 22 March 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/precipitous>.
APA Style
precipitous. (n.d.). Retrieved March 22nd, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/precipitous
Sentence Examples
- Deep and with very precipitous walls.
- Long; it is bordered on the west by the precipitous eastern side of the interior plateau of Central Africa.
- A splendid range separates this dale from Wasdale and its tributary Mosedale, including Great Gable (2949 ft.), Pillar (2927), with the precipitous Pillar Rock on the Ennerdale flank and Steeple (2746).
- Only, but they are intersected with precipitous ravines 1500 ft.
- Roslin Castle is romantically situated on the beautifully wooded precipitous banks of the Esk.
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WORDS NEAR precipitous IN THE DICTIONARY
- precipitous
- precipitously
- precipitousness
- precis