parlous

adjective

ˈpär-ləs How to pronounce parlous (audio)
Definition of parlousnext
as in dangerous
involving potential loss or injury window washing can indeed be a parlous occupation on a skyscraper

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 parlous This isn’t the first time that someone has tried to use AI as a shortcut, with parlous consequences. — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026 Despite the Soviet state’s parlous position, he was suffused with hope. — Literary Hub, 25 Feb. 2026 Declining revenues combined with soaring wage costs shifted the club’s finances into a parlous state. — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2026 The increasingly parlous state of Francophone West Africa’s second-largest economy led to a credit downgrade by S&P in July which has pushed up borrowing costs. — semafor.com, 10 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for parlous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for parlous
  1. dangerous
  2. hazardous
  3. perilous
  4. risky
  5. serious
  6. precarious
Adjective
  • On Sunday, storms brought dangerous flash flooding to the area around the Aspen Acres burn scar.
    — Christa Swanson, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • That makes the world a more dangerous place, where a mistake by just one actor could ignite a regional firestorm, with a US military weakened by Iran unable to ensure American security.
    — Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of dangerous
Adjective
  • The combination of volcanic activity and sudden weather changes can make conditions on the mountain particularly hazardous.
    — Anna Matranga, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The destruction of the ozone layer would allow hazardous ultraviolet radiation to rain down on the planet, adding to the series of climate cataclysms that would threaten civilization and most life on Earth.
    — Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of hazardous
Adjective
  • Severe weather cut power to nearly 1 million customers in the Midwest as perilous thunderstorms and extreme wind gusts pummeled the region Tuesday.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Severe weather cut power Tuesday in the Chicago area and northwestern Indiana as perilous storms pummeled the region, darkening the sky and carrying extreme wind gusts across state lines.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of perilous
Adjective
  • The work is risky because miners typically do not have enough protection and the accidents are often deadly.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Today most developments focus on robotic interventions that avoid the expensive and risky prospect of lofting repair worker astronauts into orbit.
    — Tom Metcalfe, Scientific American, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of risky
Adjective
  • Perhaps this is simply what Arsenal becoming a serious superclub looks like.
    — James McNicholas, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • There are also some signs of a few isolated showers on Friday night, but nothing serious.
    — Joseph Dames, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of serious
Adjective
  • Brent Venables moves up one group, but his position is precarious.
    — Chris Vannini, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The advent and popularity of video podcasts have made the comparison between audio podcasts and audiobooks a more complicated and precarious intellectual exercise.
    — Frank Racioppi, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of precarious

Browse Nearby Words

parlors
parlous
parochial
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“Parlous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parlous. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of parlous for Spanish Speakers

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