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PRECIPITATE/PRECIPITOUS |
Both of these adjectives are based on the image of plunging over the brink of a precipice, but “precipitate” emphasizes the suddenness of the plunge, “precipitous,” the steepness of it. If you make a “precipitate” decision, you are making a hasty and probably unwise one. If the stock market declines “precipitously,” it goes down sharply.