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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 The Conservatives, anticipating a heavy defeat, announced sweeping tax cuts before the election, expecting that Labour would have to raise them once in office, given the parlous state of Britain’s public finances. — Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 22 June 2026 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 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
  • Wickline came on as an increasingly flustered Anthropic CEO, Dario Amodei, who’s explaining why AI is dangerous without taking any responsibility for that.
    — Rima Parikh, Vulture, 27 Sep. 2026
  • The slow-moving storm, which killed a New York City housing authority worker when a tree fell Saturday, was expected to linger through Sunday with heavy rain, strong winds and dangerous surf all the way to New England.
    — Leah Willingham, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of dangerous
Adjective
  • Officials urged residents to monitor forecasts as hazardous weather was expected through the weekend.
    — Leah Willingham, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Atlanta’s snow-day reality When Atlanta gets meaningful snow or ice, AWD can help; but the larger problem is that the roads themselves become hazardous and other drivers may be unprepared.
    — Beth Livesay, AJC.com, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of hazardous
Adjective
  • The Phillies survived their perilous five-day scare and are indeed headed to the playoffs for the fifth straight season after beating the Rays 7-3 to clinch the final NL wild-card berth.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Miéville is able to flex certain muscles—perilous for most fiction writers—in ways that support the dramatic tension rather than drain it.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of perilous
Adjective
  • Last year, my wife Luci and I made a decision that a lot of people in our life thought might be too risky.
    — Alicia Sanchez, CNBC, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Being first can feel riskier than being wrong conventionally.
    — George Achilleos, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of risky
Adjective
  • Flight attendants, pilots, and nurses all highly recommend compression socks because of their ability to improve circulation, reduce soreness, and curb the very serious risk of developing blood clots as a result of prolonged immobility.
    — Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Drones are also becoming an increasingly serious problem for airplane pilots.
    — Jason Gewirtz, CNBC, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of serious
Adjective
  • Unmoored, often ill with tuberculosis, and in and out of hospitals, Leigh valiantly continued to work, seemingly unconcerned about her precarious health.
    — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 21 Sep. 2026
  • But supplies of Gulf energy to the West are now looking much more precarious.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of precarious

Browse Nearby Words

parlors
parlous
parochial
See all Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Parlous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parlous. Accessed 1 Oct. 2026.

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