PARIAH Synonyms: 11 Similar and Opposite Words

pariah

noun

pə-ˈrī-ə

Definition of pariah

as in outcast

one who is cast out or rejected by society I felt like a pariah when I wore the wrong outfit to the dinner party

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

insider

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of pariah Not everyone treated the couple as pariahs, though. — Literary Hub, 16 June 2026 Monday’s court ruling and Texas Tech’s defense of its quarterback have shaken administrators and turned the Red Raiders into a pariah, now over more than just Texas Tech’s heavy spending on transfers in multiple sports. — Chris Vannini, New York Times, 9 June 2026 And puts the United States in danger of becoming a pariah following the launching of a nuclear first strike. — Steven Andreasen, Twin Cities, 7 June 2026 And Will Kirby was a reality TV revelation, somehow becoming the house's biggest pariah and still managing to win the game. — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 4 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for pariah

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pariah

Noun

That’s a long journey for a kid who grew up in rural New Jersey as a nerdy outcast who found escape in comics and art.

— Rob Salkowitz, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
While developing Se-jeong, Yeon envisioned a character who was an outcast but not someone weakened by isolation.

— Rachael Jung, Variety, 26 July 2026

Definition of outcast

Noun

The best part of the movie is Murray Bartlett’s wise leper, a man who for the vast majority of his screen time is covered head to toe.

— Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 26 June 2026
Robin also strikes up a friendship with a soulful, philosophical leper (Murray Bartlett, covered in wrappings from head to toe), who somehow recognizes his good qualities.

— Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 11 June 2026

Definition of leper

Noun

And both the immune and eliminated designers are high on their own power; Elizabeth, in particular, is acting mighty haughty for a woman whose ruffled scarlet satin dress looks like a reject from the Westworld costume department.

— Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 17 July 2026
The most opinionated of these rejects is Smarty Pants, a basic toilet-training tech tool given an amusingly snarky attitude by Conan O’Brien.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 June 2026