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• parry
  parry

  verb (used with object)

  to ward off (a thrust, stroke, weapon, etc.), as in fencing; avert.
• Parry
  Parry

  noun

  Milman, 1902–35, U.S. classical scholar and philologist.

parry

¹ American  

[par-ee] / ˈpær i /

verb (used with object)

parried, parrying

1. to ward off (a thrust, stroke, weapon, etc.), as in fencing; avert.

2. to turn aside; evade or dodge.

   to parry an embarrassing question.

   Synonyms:

   preclude, obviate, prevent, elude, avert

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verb (used without object)

parried, parrying

1. to parry a thrust, blow, etc.

noun

plural

parries

1. an act or instance of parrying, as in fencing.

2. a defensive movement in fencing.

Parry ² American  

[par-ee] / ˈpær i /

noun

1. Milman, 1902–35, U.S. classical scholar and philologist.

2. William Edward, 1790–1855, English Arctic explorer.

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parry ¹ British  

/ ˈpærɪ /

verb

1. to ward off (an attack) by blocking or deflecting, as in fencing

2. (tr) to evade (questions), esp adroitly

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noun

1. an act of parrying, esp (in fencing) using a stroke or circular motion of the blade

2. a skilful evasion, as of a question

Parry ² British  

/ ˈpærɪ /

noun

1. Sir ( Charles ) Hubert ( Hastings ). 1848–1918, English composer, noted esp for his choral works

2. Sir William Edward. 1790–1855, English arctic explorer, who searched for the Northwest Passage (1819–25) and attempted to reach the North Pole (1827)

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Other Word Forms

• parriable
  adjective
• parrier
  noun
• unparried
  adjective
• unparrying
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of parry

1665–75; < French parez, imperative of parer to ward off, set off < Latin parāre to set. See parade

Explanation

Sword fighters thrust and parry. To thrust is to try to stab, and to parry is to avoid getting stabbed by blocking a thrust. Though it comes from fencing, parry is also handy in dodgeball and awkward conversations The word parry means to block or evade a movement, like in fencing, but it can also refer to an evasion that is verbal rather than physical. If someone asks you who you have a crush on, but you don’t want to answer, parry the question — change the subject or ask a question in return. When used in this way parry retains its sense of defending yourself through evasion.

Example Sentences

Citi analyst Graham Parry noted that total prescriptions climbed to 124,608 in its 15th week on the market, up from 113,354 in the prior week.

From Barron's • Apr. 27, 2026

However, as Parry noted, both had alternative causes and weren’t linked to drug-induced liver injury.

From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026

Post-marketing requirements are both routine and common, “and an additional check on rare or long-term signals from clinical trials that couldn’t be fully resolved but not serious enough to prevent approval,” Parry explained.

From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026

Parry, a former senior Royal Navy officer, was named in December by Reform as its candidate for the mayoral contest.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

It said that there had been no reply to signals from the Survey Station, and that John Parry and his companions were presumed missing.

From "The Subtle Knife" by Philip Pullman