pariah
Americannoun
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an outcast.
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any person or animal that is generally despised or avoided.
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none Pariah a member of a low caste in southern India and Myanmar (Burma).
noun
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a social outcast
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(formerly) a member of a low caste in South India
Usage
What does pariah mean? A pariah is an outcast or someone who’s despised and avoided.Pariah is often used to refer to a person who is widely shunned for some offense they have committed. It is often used in the phrase social pariah and in the context of politics.Example: Although the defendant was found not guilty, he was still treated like a pariah in his hometown, with formerly close friends now refusing to talk to him.
Discover More
The word originally stems from the caste system of India, which put pariahs in a very low place in society. In the United States, it refers to those of low social class or social status.
Other Word Forms
- pariahdom noun
- pariahism noun
Etymology
Origin of pariah
First recorded in 1605–15; from Tamil paṟaiyar, plural of paṟaiyan literally, “drummer” (from a hereditary duty of the caste), derivative of paṟai “festival drum”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Larger dogs and those bred for specific types of work, such as Arctic sled dogs, "pariah" breeds, and hunting dogs, tended to have higher levels of wolf ancestry.
From Science Daily
That has made him a pariah in much of the internet-governance world, triggered lawsuits around the globe and left Africa’s internet-service providers struggling to expand capacity.
Rankin, the lone member of either chamber to vote against the declaration of war, became a pariah.
In turn, anyone who sides with their cause will be labeled a criminal enabler, a disloyal pariah.
From Los Angeles Times
The attribution of fault for the murder made the kingdom’s de facto ruler an international pariah, even though the kingdom denied MBS’s involvement.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
