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

Relevance

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 The country, once cast as a diplomatic pariah by the West, took on a lead role mediating between the US and Iran to produce a deal. — Tasneem Nashrulla, semafor.com, 18 June 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for pariah

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pariah

Noun

As Davud is drawn back into addiction, Shams grows increasingly isolated among the building’s workers, veterans and outcasts.

— Marta Balaga, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026
But the island was also a haven for outcasts and pirates and merchants, from across Europe and the Levant and beyond, who came to the Caribbean to seek their fortunes or to help grow the fortunes of others.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 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

Definition of reject

Noun

Gilligan’s Island, American television sitcom about a group of castaways on a desert island and the chaos that ensues as their attempts at rescue are constantly thwarted.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Aug. 2026
Supporters of the theory believe that Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan became stranded on the remote island after failing to reach Howland Island — possibly dying as castaways.

— Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 5 Aug. 2026