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 Then there’s the parlous state of VW Group itself. — ArsTechnica, 24 Apr. 2026 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 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
  • The most dangerous place on the field in the third quarter was your own 38 yard line!
    — Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • ShotSpotter offers targeted detection of a dangerous event versus technology like Flock's indiscriminate collection of innocent people's movements.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of dangerous
Adjective
  • Forecasters are expecting rain and hazardous ocean conditions.
    — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The open valve was hazardous for delivery drivers who were breathing toxic air, said the worker, whose name was not disclosed in the report.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of hazardous
Adjective
  • Scientists previously created tiny diving suits for Madagascar hissing cockroaches that could be used in perilous search operations, according to a study published in the journal Nature Communications.
    — Devika Rao, TheWeek, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Congress has eliminated the threat of a politically perilous government shutdown this fall.
    — Sam Gringlas, NPR, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of perilous
Adjective
  • Price controls don't make scarce goods abundant, risky loans safe or bad choices cost-free.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The California Fast Food Workers Union‘s organizing director, Maria Maldonado, said workers often are unaware of their rights regarding heat exposure and other risky conditions common in kitchens.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of risky
Adjective
  • Which brings us to a question no serious Oilers fan would have entertained before the Savoie news.
    — Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • In the years that followed, Ortiz was involved in at least two more serious car accidents.
    — Alli Rosenbloom, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of serious
Adjective
  • Putting an anti-death penalty measure on the statewide ballot also could have put Newsom in an precarious political position.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • In the ever more precarious world of academia, the neck of the principled luddite crank might be particularly attractive when institutions swing the axe in the next round of layoffs.
    — Dónal Gill, The Dial, 8 Sep. 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 9 Sep. 2026.

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