PARLOUS Synonyms: 66 Similar and Opposite Words

parlous

adjective

ˈpär-ləs

Definition of parlous

as in dangerous

involving potential loss or injury window washing can indeed be a parlous occupation on a skyscraper

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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

Adjective

Teri handled higher-value finds and saw that potentially dangerous items – like firearms and knives – got to the local sheriff’s office.

— Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
Looking back through the sequence, Brazil have good numbers back and there is little need for anyone to overcommit — but a lazy tackle from behind leads to a free kick in a dangerous area.

— Mark Carey, New York Times, 6 July 2026

Definition of dangerous

Adjective

When a drug manufacturer validates a production process using a particular filtration platform or bioprocessing system, changing suppliers becomes expensive, time-consuming and potentially risky.

— Harvey Stober, CNBC, 14 July 2026
Another solution is to train entirely separate models with the risky data stripped out — which is effective, but expensive to do repeatedly.

— Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 14 July 2026

Definition of risky

Adjective

Surrounding areas are under a very serious Level 3 of 4 risk.

— Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 15 July 2026
However, the area does have serious needs for infrastructure improvement, such as addressing flooding that has long affected neighborhoods like Argentine during rainy times of year.

— Sofi Zeman July 14, Kansas City Star, 14 July 2026

Definition of serious

Adjective

The story contrasts past, more restrained immigration enforcement with today’s shootings, urging that Salgado Araujo be remembered as a modern-day martyr of the American dream and immigrants’ increasingly precarious lives.

— Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026
Some diplomatic and intelligence officials, however, are wary of pushing Sheinbaum too hard, seeing her position as precarious.

— Tim Golden, ProPublica, 13 July 2026

Definition of precarious

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parlors

parlous

parochial

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“Parlous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parlous. Accessed 16 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of parlous

adjective

Example Sentences

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