precipitous

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /prɪˈsɪpətəs/ UK /prɪˈsɪpɪtəs/ See IPA manual

adj

Meanings

1

adj
dangerously high or steep, or done suddenly and hastily

Stocks took a precipitous fall after the announcement.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · dangerously high or steep,... steep sheer abrupt sudden headlong hasty precipitate

Opposites

gradual gentle deliberate

Word family

Forms precipitously

Derived forms precipitouslyprecipitousness

Related forms precipice precipitate precipitation

Etymology

From Latin praecipitium ('a steep place, precipice') via precipice + -ous, from praeceps ('headlong'), from prae- ('before') + caput ('head').

praecipitium Latin praeceps Latin caput Latin

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Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

# precipitous

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** prɪˈsɪpətəs
**IPA (UK):** prɪˈsɪpɪtəs

## Meanings
1. dangerously high or steep, or done suddenly and hastily

## Examples
- Stocks took a precipitous fall after the announcement.

## Synonyms
- steep
- sheer
- abrupt
- sudden
- headlong
- hasty
- precipitate

## Antonyms
- gradual
- gentle
- deliberate

## Derived Forms
- precipitously
- precipitousness

## Related Forms
- precipice
- precipitate
- precipitation

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: praecipitium
- Root: praeceps
- Root: caput

## Etymology
From Latin praecipitium ('a steep place, precipice') via precipice + -ous, from praeceps ('headlong'), from prae- ('before') + caput ('head').

## AI Etymology
Precipitous is from Latin praecipitium ('a steep place, precipice') via precipice + -ous, from praeceps ('headlong'), from prae- ('before') + caput ('head'). Important recorded forms include praecipitium (Latin), praeceps (Latin), and caput (Latin). Morphologically, the word is a built form whose named elements carry part of the historical sense. The current sense covers dangerously high or steep, or done suddenly and hastily. The wider family includes derived forms such as precipitously and precipitousness and related words such as precipice, precipitate, and precipitation.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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