precipitous
3
7.9
- adjective
- /prɪˈsɪpɪtəs/
:
precipitado
- All I'm saying is, I think you're being precipitous in firing him.
- a precipitous decline
- a precipitous withdrawal
- a precipitous drop
Examples
-
Without sufficient groundwork, the federation made a precipitous decision to organize apparel plants.
Academic text (2002) -
However, at this stage, I would urge you to show caution, and to abstain from any precipitous acts.
-
In this piece... the president warns against precipitous action.
-
Even the betrothal ring was a little precipitous, in her opinion.
Fiction book (1990) -
Jeffrey was a rational man, and that saved him from a precipitous, reflexive response.
Fiction book (1995) -
In Seoul, the precipitous increase in land and housing prices challenged the stability of the Roh government.
Academic text (1992) -
In particular, the global recession and the consequent precipitous decline in lending meant that developing countries with inefficient import-substitution models faced severe foreign-exchange crises.
Academic text (1995) -
As former Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew has argued, a precipitous U.S. withdrawal from Iraq would risk destabilizing the entire Middle East, creating shock waves that could spread throughout Asia as well.
Academic text (2008) -
The Obama administration has calculated that some degree of withdrawal is necessary to pressure the Afghan government, but it should be wary lest a precipitous withdrawal lead to panic in Afghanistan, undoing a decade of careful gains.
Academic text (2011) -
The manager warned the team against making any precipitous decisions that could jeopardize the project.
Synonyms
614
1.0
Happening quickly and without warning
63
3.9
Acting quickly without much thought or care
1
7.2
Too quick to decide without enough thought
Done too quickly without careful thought
Antonyms
How Hasty
Surface Forms
Morphology
precipitous = precipitate (transparent) = precipitate + ous
Standard adjectival formation from 'precipitate' producing an adjective meaning characterized by suddenness or rashness.
Etymology
Precipitous also comes from the same Latin idea of going 'head-first' (from prae- 'before' and caput 'head'). That's why precipitous can describe actions done very quickly or without care, as if rushing 'head-first' into a choice.