precipitous

Universal Words adjective (formal) 1 very steep, high and often dangerous: precipitous cliffs / slopes * a precipitous drop at the side of the road 2 sudden and great: a precipitous decline in exports 3 done very quickly, without enough thought or care: a precipitous action precipitously adverb: The land dropped precipitously down to the rocky shore. * The dollar plunged precipitously. * We don't want to act precipitously. seealsoPRECIPICE