precipice

noun

prec·​i·​pice ˈpre-s(ə-)pəs 

1

: a very steep or overhanging place

2

: a hazardous situation

broadly : brink

Synonyms of precipice

• cliff
• escarpment

Examples of precipice in a Sentence

Twenty years ago, it seemed unlikely that black and white South Africans could avoid a cataclysmic struggle. How did we manage to turn back from the precipice and join one another in the long walk to a nonracial democracy? —F. W. De Klerk, Time, 18 Apr. 2005

These are the brave, friendly guys and gals who flip, twist, spin and somersault themselves backward into the sky and somehow land on a horrifyingly steep precipice without rearranging their rib cages or breaking their faces. —Curry Kirkpatrick, Newsweek, 21 Feb. 1994

… the helpless Cambodians were bused from the safety of a refugee camp to an outcropping along the border several hundred miles to the northeast, where they were forced over the precipice into a wild and inaccessible part of Cambodia from which it would be almost impossible to return to Thailand. —Barbara Crossette, New York Times Book Review, 2 Aug. 1987

He stood on the edge of the precipice.

scaled the steep precipice with the ease of an experienced climber

Recent Examples on the Web

French budget crisis worsens amid student protests France could be on the precipice of a financial crisis, as escalating student protests roiled an already shaky bond market. — Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026

The landscape was inspired by the inland town of Ioulida, a hilltop village with cascading residential dwellings and winding paths (no car-worthy roads), and a church perched at the precipice. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026

Three decades of Republican rule in Florida have brought the state’s education system to the precipice of a new era — one in which privately run institutions play an unprecedented role in teaching the next generation. — Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026

Ideally, suicide prevention starts long before someone reaches a literal precipice. — Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French, from Middle French, from Latin praecipitium, from praecipit-, praeceps headlong, from prae- + caput head — more at head

First Known Use

1606, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing precipice

• on the edge of a precipice

Kids Definition

precipice

noun

prec·​i·​pice ˈpres-(ə-)pəs 

: a very steep and high face of a rock or mountain