precipitous en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /pɹɪˈsɪpɪtəs/
- (US) audio
Etymology
From obsolete French précipiteux, from Vulgar Latin *praecipitōsus, from praeceps, praecipit- (“ precipice”) + -ōsus (“-ful, -ous”), from prae- (“before”) + caput (“head”). Equivalent to precipice (“steep cliff, brink”) + -ous.
Meanings
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Steep, like a precipice
a precipitous mountain
a precipitous drop
a precipitous decline
When the wind is in the right direction, hang-gliders launch themselves giddily into space from the precipitous bank.
1980, AA Book of British Villages, Drive Publications Ltd, page 102:About this time our journey began to be pleasant again. The weather warm, yet not disagreeably so, the grass abundant and of an excellent quality, the road not greatly precipitous, the scenery enchanting.
1861, E. J. Guerin, Mountain Charley, page 34:a precipitous cliff
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Headlong
a precipitous fall
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Hasty; rash; quick; sudden
precipitous attempts
[…]humans have been responsible for a precipitous decline of elephants, from perhaps 300,000 in the early 1970s to some 10,000 today.
2007 March, J. Michael Fay, “Ivory Wars: Last Stand in Zakouma”, in National Geographic, page 46:
Deriveds
precipitously · precipitousness
Synonyms
precipitant (headlong) · subitaneous · brant (steep) · headlong (headlong) · hotheaded · steep-to (steep) · heedless (hasty, rash) · abrupt (sudden) · impetuous · steepdown (steep)
Translations (38)
es de cabeza (headlong) · bg отвесен (steep, like a precipice) · de steil (steep, like a precipice) · bg стремителен (headlong) · de steilwandig (steep, like a precipice) · es precipitoso (steep, like a precipice) · ru отвесный (steep, like a precipice) · bg много стръмен (steep, like a precipice) · cmn 斷崖式 /断崖式 (steep, like a precipice) · cmn 陡峭 (steep, like a precipice) · de abrupt (steep, like a precipice) · fi äkillinen (hasty; rash; quick; sudden; precipitate) · ru стремительный (hasty; rash; quick; sudden; precipitate) · mi tāhekeheke (steep, like a precipice) · ota صارپ (steep, like a precipice) · bg прибързан (hasty; rash; quick; sudden; precipitate) · fr raide (steep, like a precipice) · fr escarpé (steep, like a precipice) · la praeceps (steep, like a precipice) · grc ἀπότομος (steep, like a precipice) · fi jyrkkä (steep, like a precipice) · de kopfüber (headlong) · es escarpado (steep, like a precipice) · mi tūparipari (steep, like a precipice) · fr abrupt (steep, like a precipice) · ang stealc (steep, like a precipice) · fr précipité (hasty; rash; quick; sudden; precipitate) · de schroff (steep, like a precipice) · de jäh (steep, like a precipice) · ru крутой (steep, like a precipice) · de überstürzt (hasty; rash; quick; sudden; precipitate) · es precipitoso (hasty; rash; quick; sudden; precipitate) · mi taparere (steep, like a precipice) · ru резкий (hasty; rash; quick; sudden; precipitate) · hu meredek (steep, like a precipice) · eo krutega (steep, like a precipice) · de abschüssig (steep, like a precipice) · fi äkkijyrkkä (headlong)