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
  • Ultimately, swarms of AI could combine in rather disconcerting and dangerous ways.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Nikolai’s identity as a dissident made remaining in the country dangerous.
    — Isabelle Chapman, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of dangerous
Adjective
  • Fires are often started illegally by plantation owners or traditional farmers to clear land for planting, and those burns periodically blanket parts of Southeast Asia in hazardous haze.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Marylanders are no stranger to environmental injustice; communities of color and low-income areas are disproportionately impacted by proximity to hazardous facilities.
    — Adrianne Fantasia, Baltimore Sun, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of hazardous
Adjective
  • Candidate messaging Candidates could consider moderating their message to attract orphaned voters, though that can be perilous.
    — Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Originally famed for the company’s organs that swelled Detroit theaters and churches, the situation became perilous after Wurlitzer and the remaining tenants all left by 1982.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of perilous
Adjective
  • Chaudry sees studios bringing on creators not just as a way to hedge risky bets; these are people with dedicated audiences who will follow.
    — Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 10 Aug. 2026
  • That's why simply waiting for a creditor to give up and forgive your debts can be risky.
    — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of risky
Adjective
  • People half his age with serious mountain experience struggled and marvelled at him leading them to the top.
    — Andy Mitten, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Three people were taken to the hospital with serious injuries.
    — Christina Fan, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of serious
Adjective
  • Ireland’s museum sector is reportedly plagued by precarious contracts, low pay, unpaid labor, and toxic workplace cultures, driving burnout, excluding talent, and risking the loss of vital institutional knowledge.
    — George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Saturday’s precarious victory might have snapped that seven-game losing streak but the Dodgers slipped back into their midseason malaise Sunday, losing to the Arizona Diamondbacks again, 4-2.
    — Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of precarious

Browse Nearby Words

parlors
parlous
parochial
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Cite this Entry

“Parlous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parlous. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of parlous for Spanish Speakers

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