🇬🇧🇨🇳 precarious - 岌岌可危 : English Lesson

Meaning of "precarious" ("岌岌可危"), detailed definition, and a short video lesson below.

Precarious means something is in a shaky, wobbly, or risky position, like it could fall, break, or go wrong at any moment, so you have to be extra careful with it.

Watch and listen to this English flashcard to understand the word in more detail, with an easy example sentence.

My hairstyle was a precarious structure of hairspray and hope, and one gust of wind turned it into modern art.

Our internet connection is so precarious that even the Wi‑Fi symbol looks like it’s hanging on by its last little bar.

The chair was so old and precarious that every time I sat on it, it played a dramatic creaking soundtrack.

Dad balanced his coffee on the arm of the couch in a precarious way, so we all stared at it like a ticking time bomb of hot chaos.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is famous for looking precarious, but engineers keep checking it so tourists can safely take silly photos pretending to hold it up.

The kitten sat on a precarious branch over the street. Sarah climbed a precarious ladder, each step shaky. The ladder rested on a precarious curb, wind nudged the precarious branch, and the kitten froze. She reached, heart pounding, fingers brushing fur on that precarious perch. Safe, she cradled the kitten and laughed, relief scattering like sun.

This word is at the C2 level, which means it represents the highest mastery of English. It’s often used in specialized or highly formal contexts and helps you communicate with precision and subtlety, much like a native speaker.

Expanding your English vocabulary is one of the best ways to improve your pronunciation, spelling, and confidence in English. Watch the video above to memorize the word, understand its meaning, and see example sentences in action. Discover related words to grow your vocabulary naturally. Add words to your playlist for stress-free, effective learning—anytime, anywhere! Watch, learn, repeat.