Standard Lemma guide

precipitate

adj · noun · verb · 23 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation, US: /pɹɪˈsɪpɪtət/
  • Received-Pronunciation, US: /pɹəˈsɪpɪtət/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Received-Pronunciation, US: /pɹɪˈsɪpɪteɪt/
  • Received-Pronunciation, US: /pɹəˈsɪpɪteɪt/
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: P R IH0 S IH1 P IH0 T EY2 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

headlong; falling steeply or vertically.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: headlong, precipitant, precipitous

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Very steep; precipitous.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: brant

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

With a hasty impulse; hurried; headstrong.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: hotheaded, impetuous, rash, daring, devil-may-care, headstrong, heedless, imprudent, impulsive, precipitant, precipitate, precipitous, quick-and-dirty, reckless, sudden, temeritous

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Moving with excessive speed or haste; overly hasty.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The king was too precipitate in declaring war.
  • a precipitate case of disease

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adj

Meaning 5

Performed very rapidly or abruptly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: abrupt, precipitous, subitaneous, precipitant, precipitate, spontaneous, sudden, suddent

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A product resulting from a process, event, or course of action.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

A solid that exits the liquid phase of a solution.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: chemistry, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

To make something happen suddenly and quickly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • to precipitate a journey, or a conflict
  • it precipitated their success
  • Back to his sight precipitates her steps.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: advance, accelerate, hasten, speed up

Antonyms: none provided

9

verb

Meaning 9

To throw an object or person from a great height.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: throw, fling, cast, bung, chuck, chunk, cook, dash, dump, feck, jerk, heave, hield, hoy, huck, hurl, hurtle, launch, lob, peck, peg, pick, pitch, precipitate, project, quoit, shy, slight, skew, sling, thrill, toss, traject, warp, whang, whip, whop, wing, yeet

Antonyms: none provided

10

verb

Meaning 10

To send violently into a certain state or condition.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • we were precipitated into a conflict

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

verb

Meaning 11

(chemistry) To come out of a liquid solution into solid form.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • Adding the acid will cause the salt to precipitate.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

verb

Meaning 12

(chemistry) To separate a substance out of a liquid solution into solid form.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

13

verb

Meaning 13

To have water in the air fall to the ground, for example as rain, snow, sleet, or hail; be deposited as condensed droplets.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Topics: climatology, meteorology, natural-sciences

Examples

  • It will precipitate tomorrow, but we don't know whether as rain or snow.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

14

verb

Meaning 14

To cause (water in the air) to condense or fall to the ground.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

15

verb

Meaning 15

To fall headlong.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

16

verb

Meaning 16

To act too hastily; to be precipitous.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

17

adjective satellite

Meaning 17

done with very great haste and without due deliberation- Shakespeare- Arthur Geddes

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • hasty marriage seldom proveth well
  • hasty makeshifts take the place of planning
  • rejected what was regarded as an overhasty plan for reconversion
  • wondered whether they had been rather precipitate in deposing the king

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: hasty, overhasty, precipitant, precipitous

Antonyms: none provided

18

noun

Meaning 18

a precipitated solid substance in suspension or after settling or filtering

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: solid

Narrower terms: sludge

19

verb

Meaning 19

separate as a fine suspension of solid particles

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: change state, turn

20

verb

Meaning 20

hurl or throw violently

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The bridge broke and precipitated the train into the river below

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: hurl, hurtle, cast

21

verb

Meaning 21

bring about abruptly

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The crisis precipitated by Russia's revolution

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: effect, effectuate, set up

22

verb

Meaning 22

fall vertically, sharply, or headlong

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Our economy precipitated into complete ruin

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: descend, fall, go down, come down

23

verb

Meaning 23

fall from clouds

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • rain, snow and sleet were falling
  • Vesuvius precipitated its fiery, destructive rage on Herculaneum

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: come down, fall

Antonyms: none provided

Narrower terms: rain, rain down, spat, snow, hail, sleet

History

Etymology

From Latin praecipitātus (see Etymology 1 and -ate (adjective-forming suffix) for more).

From New Latin praecipitātum. Equivalent to Latin praecipitō + -ate (noun-forming suffix).

From Latin praecipitātus, perfect passive participle of praecipitō (“throw down, hurl down, throw headlong”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) for more), from praeceps (“head foremost, headlong”) (praecipit- in its oblique stem), from prae (“before”) + -ceps (“headed”).

Across languages

Translations

163 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: стремителен (stremitelen) — Headlong; falling steeply or vertically
  • Finnish: kohtisuora — Headlong; falling steeply or vertically
  • Finnish: äkkijyrkkä — Headlong; falling steeply or vertically
  • Finnish: syöksyvä — Headlong; falling steeply or vertically
  • Bulgarian: стръмен (strǎmen) — Very steep; precipitous
  • Finnish: äkkijyrkkä — Very steep; precipitous
  • Greek: απόκρημνος (apókrimnos) — Very steep; precipitous
  • Bulgarian: прибързан (pribǎrzan) — With a hasty impulse; hurried; headstrong
  • Danish: overilet — With a hasty impulse; hurried; headstrong
  • Finnish: hätiköity — With a hasty impulse; hurried; headstrong
  • Irish: mear — With a hasty impulse; hurried; headstrong
  • Irish: tobann — With a hasty impulse; hurried; headstrong
  • Ottoman Turkish: دلی (deli) — With a hasty impulse; hurried; headstrong
  • Bulgarian: бърз (bǎrz) — Moving with excessive speed or haste
  • Finnish: hätäinen — Moving with excessive speed or haste
  • Greek: ταχύς (tachýs) — Moving with excessive speed or haste
  • Greek: βιαστικός (viastikós) — Moving with excessive speed or haste
  • Irish: tobann — Moving with excessive speed or haste
  • Bulgarian: внезапен (vnezapen) — Performed very rapidly or abruptly
  • Finnish: hätiköity — Performed very rapidly or abruptly
  • Greek: εσπευσμένος (espefsménos) — Performed very rapidly or abruptly
  • Finnish: tulos — product
  • Greek: ίζημα (ízima) — product
  • Bulgarian: утайка (utajka) — chemistry: solid that exits the liquid phase of a solution
  • Chinese Mandarin: 沉澱物 /沉淀物 (chéndiànwù) — chemistry: solid that exits the liquid phase of a solution
  • Czech: sraženina — chemistry: solid that exits the liquid phase of a solution
  • Danish: bundfald — chemistry: solid that exits the liquid phase of a solution
  • Finnish: saos — chemistry: solid that exits the liquid phase of a solution
  • Finnish: saostuma — chemistry: solid that exits the liquid phase of a solution
  • French: précipité — chemistry: solid that exits the liquid phase of a solution
  • French: précipitat — chemistry: solid that exits the liquid phase of a solution
  • German: Niederschlag — chemistry: solid that exits the liquid phase of a solution
  • German: Präzipitat — chemistry: solid that exits the liquid phase of a solution
  • Greek: καθίζημα (kathízima) — chemistry: solid that exits the liquid phase of a solution
  • Haitian Creole: presipite — chemistry: solid that exits the liquid phase of a solution
  • Indonesian: presipitat — chemistry: solid that exits the liquid phase of a solution
  • Italian: precipitato — chemistry: solid that exits the liquid phase of a solution
  • Latin: praecipitātum — chemistry: solid that exits the liquid phase of a solution
  • Malay: مندقن (mendakan) — chemistry: solid that exits the liquid phase of a solution
  • Māori: huatoka — chemistry: solid that exits the liquid phase of a solution
  • Polish: osad — chemistry: solid that exits the liquid phase of a solution
  • Polish: strąt — chemistry: solid that exits the liquid phase of a solution
  • Russian: оса́док (osádok) — chemistry: solid that exits the liquid phase of a solution
  • Russian: преципита́т (precipitát) — chemistry: solid that exits the liquid phase of a solution
  • Tagalog: himuo — chemistry: solid that exits the liquid phase of a solution
  • Turkish: çökelti — chemistry: solid that exits the liquid phase of a solution
  • Turkish: tortu — chemistry: solid that exits the liquid phase of a solution
  • Turkish: çökelek — chemistry: solid that exits the liquid phase of a solution
  • Welsh: gwaddod — chemistry: solid that exits the liquid phase of a solution
  • Bulgarian: ускорявам (uskorjavam) — to make something happen suddenly and quickly; hasten
  • Chinese Mandarin: 加速 (jiāsù) — to make something happen suddenly and quickly; hasten
  • Chinese Mandarin: 突然引發 /突然引发 (tūrán yǐnfā) — to make something happen suddenly and quickly; hasten
  • Finnish: kiirehtiä — to make something happen suddenly and quickly; hasten
  • Finnish: kiihdyttää — to make something happen suddenly and quickly; hasten
  • Finnish: nopeuttaa — to make something happen suddenly and quickly; hasten
  • Finnish: jouduttaa — to make something happen suddenly and quickly; hasten
  • German: vorantreiben — to make something happen suddenly and quickly; hasten
  • German: beschleunigen — to make something happen suddenly and quickly; hasten
  • German: überstürzen — to make something happen suddenly and quickly; hasten
  • Greek: επιταχύνω (epitachýno) — to make something happen suddenly and quickly; hasten
  • Greek: επισπεύδω (epispévdo) — to make something happen suddenly and quickly; hasten
  • Hungarian: felgyorsít — to make something happen suddenly and quickly; hasten
  • Hungarian: elősegít — to make something happen suddenly and quickly; hasten
  • Hungarian: siettet — to make something happen suddenly and quickly; hasten
  • Hungarian: sürget — to make something happen suddenly and quickly; hasten
  • Hungarian: meggyorsít — to make something happen suddenly and quickly; hasten
  • Hungarian: kivált — to make something happen suddenly and quickly; hasten
  • Hungarian: kirobbant — to make something happen suddenly and quickly; hasten
  • Japanese: 促進する (saishin suru) — to make something happen suddenly and quickly; hasten
  • Māori: whakauruhi — to make something happen suddenly and quickly; hasten
  • Romanian: accelera — to make something happen suddenly and quickly; hasten
  • Romanian: precipita — to make something happen suddenly and quickly; hasten
  • Romanian: grăbi — to make something happen suddenly and quickly; hasten
  • Russian: ускорять (uskorjatʹ) — to make something happen suddenly and quickly; hasten
  • Russian: ускорить (uskoritʹ) — to make something happen suddenly and quickly; hasten
  • Swedish: påskynda — to make something happen suddenly and quickly; hasten
  • Finnish: syöstä — to throw an object or person from a great height
  • Finnish: paiskata — to throw an object or person from a great height
  • Galician: esbarrancar — to throw an object or person from a great height
  • German: hinabwerfen — to throw an object or person from a great height
  • German: hinabstürzen — to throw an object or person from a great height
  • German: hinabschleudern — to throw an object or person from a great height
  • German: runterwerfen — to throw an object or person from a great height
  • German: runterschubsen — to throw an object or person from a great height
  • Greek: κατακρημνίζω (katakrimnízo) — to throw an object or person from a great height
  • Greek: γκρεμίζω (gkremízo) — to throw an object or person from a great height
  • Hungarian: letaszít — to throw an object or person from a great height
  • Hungarian: levet — to throw an object or person from a great height
  • Hungarian: ledob — to throw an object or person from a great height
  • Quechua: chanqaykuy — to throw an object or person from a great height
  • Spanish: tirar abajo — to throw an object or person from a great height
  • Spanish: arrojar — to throw an object or person from a great height
  • Spanish: precipitar — to throw an object or person from a great height
  • Bulgarian: хвърлям (hvǎrljam) — to send violently into a certain state or condition
  • Bulgarian: подлагам на (podlagam na) — to send violently into a certain state or condition
  • Chinese Mandarin: 促使 (cùshǐ) — to send violently into a certain state or condition
  • Chinese Mandarin: 突然陷入 (tūrán) — to send violently into a certain state or condition
  • Finnish: syöstä — to send violently into a certain state or condition
  • German: werfen — to send violently into a certain state or condition
  • German: stürzen — to send violently into a certain state or condition
  • Greek: κατακρημνίζω (katakrimnízo) — to send violently into a certain state or condition
  • Hungarian: beletaszít — to send violently into a certain state or condition
  • Hungarian: belesodor — to send violently into a certain state or condition
  • Russian: втянуть (vtjanutʹ) — to send violently into a certain state or condition
  • Russian: ввергать (vvergatʹ) — to send violently into a certain state or condition
  • Arabic: تَرَسَّبَ (tarassaba) — to come out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • Bulgarian: утаявам се (utajavam se) — to come out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • Chinese Mandarin: 沉澱 /沉淀 (chéndiàn) — to come out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • Czech: vysrážet se — to come out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • Dutch: neerslaan — to come out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • Finnish: saostua — to come out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • French: précipiter — to come out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • German: sich niederschlagen — to come out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • German: sich ausfällen — to come out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • Greek: κατακαθίζω (katakathízo) — to come out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • Hungarian: kicsapódik — to come out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • Hungarian: leülepedik — to come out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • Hungarian: lecsapódik — to come out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • Māori: whakahuatoka — to come out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • Polish: osadzać się — to come out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • Polish: osadzić się — to come out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • Polish: wytrącać się — to come out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • Polish: wytrącić się — to come out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • Polish: strącać się — to come out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • Polish: strącić się — to come out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • Romanian: precipita — to come out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • Romanian: condensa — to come out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • Russian: выпадать в осадок (vypadatʹ v osadok) — to come out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • Russian: осаждаться (osaždatʹsja) — to come out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • Spanish: condensar — to come out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • Spanish: precipitar — to come out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • Vietnamese: kết tủa — to come out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • Welsh: gwaddodi — to come out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • Arabic: رَسَّبَ (rassaba) — to separate out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • Bulgarian: утаявам (utajavam) — to separate out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • Chinese Mandarin: 沉澱 /沉淀 (chéndiàn) — to separate out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • Czech: vysrážet — to separate out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • Dutch: precipiteren — to separate out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • Dutch: bezinken — to separate out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • Finnish: saostaa — to separate out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • German: ausfällen — to separate out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • Hungarian: kicsap — to separate out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • Hungarian: leülepít — to separate out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • Hungarian: lecsap — to separate out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • Māori: whakahuatoka — to separate out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • Polish: wytrącić — to separate out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • Polish: wytrącać — to separate out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • Polish: strącić — to separate out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • Polish: strącać — to separate out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • Polish: osadzić — to separate out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • Polish: osadzać — to separate out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • Romanian: depune — to separate out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • Romanian: precipita — to separate out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • Slovak: vyzrážať — to separate out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • Vietnamese: kết tủa — to separate out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • Welsh: gwaddodi — to separate out of a liquid solution into solid form
  • Bulgarian: валя (valja) — to have water in the air fall to the ground
  • Chinese Mandarin: 降雨 (jiàngyǔ) — to have water in the air fall to the ground
  • Finnish: sataa — to have water in the air fall to the ground
  • German: niederschlagen — to have water in the air fall to the ground
  • Irish: comhdhlúthaigh — to have water in the air fall to the ground
  • Māori: tōtāwairehu — to have water in the air fall to the ground
  • Welsh: bwrw — to have water in the air fall to the ground