as in dangerous
involving potential loss or injury
window washing can indeed be a parlous occupation on a skyscraper
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Recent Examples of parlous
Photograph: Lamborghini This move from Lamborghini underlines the parlous state of luxury EVs at present, a trend WIRED has charted.
—
Jeremy White, Wired News, 23 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
Reflecting wider financial market nerves around the parlous state of French politics, the yield on France’s 30-year bond yield rose above 4.5% on Tuesday — hitting a level last seen in 2008 — before lightly easing to to 4.48% on Wednesday.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for parlous
Jeremy White, Wired News, 23 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
Reflecting wider financial market nerves around the parlous state of French politics, the yield on France’s 30-year bond yield rose above 4.5% on Tuesday — hitting a level last seen in 2008 — before lightly easing to to 4.48% on Wednesday.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for parlous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for parlous
Adjective
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But pretty quickly, Wahl said that both the mother and police realized something more dangerous could be brewing.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
19 May 2026
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Sheets touched on the other key to his success — and any dangerous hitter’s success — in the above quote.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 May 2026
Adjective
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Firefighting crews worked Monday to cool residual heat and prevent hot spots from causing reignition, using chainsaws to fell and cut up hazardous trees, inspecting each section for heat and using hoses to extinguish any remaining embers.—
Forum News Service,
Twin Cities,
20 May 2026
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The yearlong analysis, released just ahead of the busy beach holiday weekend, spotlights beaches that fared well in wet and dry conditions, but also troubled stretches of coast that have chronic issues that can be hazardous to beachgoers’ health.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
20 May 2026
Adjective
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Perhaps most politically perilous, 31% of independents who voted for Trump in 2024 would not vote for him again in an election do-over.—
Tatishe Nteta,
Fortune,
16 May 2026
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Cholera, a waterborne bacterial disease, has unleashed a perilous wave across southern Africa, with active outbreaks currently afflicting five countries in southern and central Africa.—
John Drake,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Adjective
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Blue-collar work tends to be more physically demanding and often risky.—
Gabrielle Fonrouge,
CNBC,
19 May 2026
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That is a risky combination in any enterprise setting.—
Emily Lewis-Pinnell,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Adjective
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The number of teams and bowls involved could shift as discussions become more serious.—
Scott Dochterman,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
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The announcement comes amid growing scrutiny over e-bikes and e-motorcycles across Southern California following several serious and fatal crashes involving young riders.—
Sydney Barragan,
Oc Register,
14 May 2026
Adjective
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Waiting a full year to address performance issues or ask for a raise puts both employees and managers in a precarious position.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
19 May 2026
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His appointment came at a particularly precarious time for the immigration agency.—
Philip Wang,
Time,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Parlous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parlous. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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