precipitous
Significado: Extremely steep or sheer, or happening very suddenly and dramatically. Often used to describe rapid declines in markets, standards, or conditions.
Precipitous has two closely related senses: the physical (a precipitous cliff) and the figurative (a precipitous fall in share prices). It is sometimes confused with 'precipitate,' which means hasty or rash, though careful writers maintain the distinction. In financial journalism and policy analysis, precipitous nearly always modifies 'decline,' 'drop,' 'fall,' or 'collapse.' The word carries an implicit sense of danger or alarm.
Ejemplos
- The precipitous drop in sterling following the referendum caught many currency traders off guard. 国民投票后英镑的急剧下跌令许多外汇交易员措手不及。La caída precipitosa de la libra esterlina tras el referéndum pilló desprevenidos a muchos operadores de divisas.国民投票後のポンドの急落は、多くの為替トレーダーの不意を突いた。국민투표 이후 파운드화의 급락은 많은 외환 트레이더들의 허를 찔렀다.
- Hikers were warned about the precipitous path along the cliff edge near Beachy Head. 徒步旅行者被警告注意比奇角附近悬崖边缘的陡峭小径。Se advirtió a los senderistas sobre el sendero precipitoso a lo largo del borde del acantilado cerca de Beachy Head.ハイカーたちはビーチーヘッド付近の崖沿いの険しい道について警告を受けた。등산객들은 비치헤드 근처 절벽 가장자리를 따르는 가파른 길에 대해 경고를 받았다.
- The report documented a precipitous decline in biodiversity across the British uplands over the past two decades. 报告记录了过去二十年间英国高地生物多样性的急剧下降。El informe documentó un descenso precipitoso de la biodiversidad en las tierras altas británicas durante las dos últimas décadas.報告書は過去20年間にわたるイギリス高地の生物多様性の急激な減少を記録した。보고서는 지난 20년간 영국 고지대 전역에서의 생물 다양성의 급격한 감소를 기록했다.
Pronunciación
Guía de uso
Contexto: journalism, academic
Tono: neutral
Origen e historia
From French précipiteux, from Latin praecipitium (a steep place, precipice), from praeceps (headlong). Entered English in the 17th century.
Contexto cultural
Era: Modern
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
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