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
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
Put more directly, the idea of taking a nap in the Royal Box within arm’s length of the Queen during a Wimbledon match seems a parlous choice of lollygagging terrain.
—Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 12 July 2025
Filling the stage with androgynous women dressed in black and making sometimes terrifying use of pure white light and heavy industrial techno, the latest interpretative dance extravaganza appeared to be a Lynchian comment on the parlous state of today’s world.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 5 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for parlous
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
Put more directly, the idea of taking a nap in the Royal Box within arm’s length of the Queen during a Wimbledon match seems a parlous choice of lollygagging terrain.
—Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 12 July 2025
Filling the stage with androgynous women dressed in black and making sometimes terrifying use of pure white light and heavy industrial techno, the latest interpretative dance extravaganza appeared to be a Lynchian comment on the parlous state of today’s world.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 5 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for parlous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for parlous
Adjective
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Interestingly, this new Wi-Fi chip could finally enable the wireless control needed to make these dangerous cleanups faster and safer.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Mar. 2026
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The chief medical officer for Huntington Beach Fire said the Southern Pacific rattlesnake found locally can produce a highly dangerous neurotoxic venom.—
Michele Gile,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The permit exempts SpaceX from having to follow some regulations pertaining to the packaging and labeling of hazardous materials, specifically, the lithium ion batteries that are installed on Starship parts.—
Brandon Lingle,
San Antonio Express-News,
25 Mar. 2026
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Far more hazardous weapons have been made, used, and disposed of in the past.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Understanding the gravity of a red flag warning and adhering to these precautions is pivotal in mitigating the risk of wildfires during these perilous conditions.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
27 Mar. 2026
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Both options would be prohibitively perilous, even before they had been telegraphed for over a week.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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And in a place like University City, that has historically made ambitious independent restaurants the riskier bet.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Mar. 2026
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Scaling up from a small model to a full-sized quadrotor biplane is much riskier, so the team is building an exact digital replica first.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The men had serious criminal convictions and said Cuba would not take them back as a result.—
Syra Ortiz Blanes,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
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Despite repairs having been made, the billing and collection system still has serious problems.—
Noel Brennan,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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This shift is already underway, suggesting a precarious future across television.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
25 Mar. 2026
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The gas price spike comes with many consumers already in a precarious position, particularly compared to 2022, when gas prices also soared because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.—
Christopher Rugaber,
Fortune,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Parlous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parlous. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
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