Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for pariah

pariah

[ puh-rahy-uh ]

noun

  1. an outcast.
  2. any person or animal that is generally despised or avoided.
  3. none Pariah. a member of a low caste in southern India and Myanmar (Burma).


pariah

/ ˈpærɪə; pəˈraɪə /

noun

  1. a social outcast
  2. (formerly) a member of a low caste in South India
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


pariah

  1. An outcast; a member of a low caste or class .


Discover More

Notes

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 .
Discover More

Other Words From

  • pa·riah·dom noun
  • pa·riah·ism noun
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of pariah1

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”
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of pariah1

C17: from Tamil paraiyan drummer, from parai drum; so called because members of the caste were the drummers at festivals
Discover More

Example Sentences

Suddenly she was no longer an untouchable, Western-backed political celebrity but a global pariah.

From Time

The plot, which saw Khashoggi lured to his death at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, turned MBS from a figure many hoped would modernize Saudi Arabia into an international pariah.

From Time

A protest movement kicked Sudan’s Islamist leaders out of power last year, ushering in a new military-led government that wants to end its global pariah status.

From Vox

We have already entered the realm of becoming a pariah nation, and I think that will become a bigger issue under a second term.

From Fortune

By late summer, Italy was being lauded by the international public health community and by the press, including the New York Times, saying the country had “gone from global pariah to a model.”

From Fortune

He nonetheless found himself something of a pariah, and when he was unable to find a job, he sold fish in the street.

He, too, is a pariah in Pakistan, rarely acknowledged and never claimed as the “pride” of the nation.

Certainly the bitcoin community continues to treat Karpeles as a pariah.

If passed, the draft legislation would essentially make Moscow a pariah economy.

President Obama is reportedly set on making Russia “a pariah state.”

A roar came from the populace; an elephant trumpeted; the pariah dogs barked.

Then the pariah realises that she is thrust beyond the pale of human purity.

He was a pariah, a leper, and so must continue—a thing to be shunned.

He considered that he was a natural pariah; that the unpopularity at school would follow him through life.

The human order hostile, he quickly loses his self-respect and drops to the pariah class.

Advertisement

Related Words

Discover More

More About Pariah

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.

Where does pariah come from?

The first records of pariah in English come from the early 1600s. It comes from paṟaiyan, a word that means “drummer” in Tamil (one of the many Indian languages spoken across the country). The Paraiyans were members of a group considered very low in the Indian caste system. They served as ceremonial drummers and later as laborers. Eventually, pariah started to be used in English more generally to refer to the members of any caste offensively labeled untouchables. By the 1800s, it had come to refer to any person shunned by society—an “outcast.”

Today, a pariah is someone who is treated as an outcast, especially after having been formerly in a position of favor—they have been cast out of their group. Usually this is because they have done something viewed as unacceptable, such as committing a crime, but this is not always the case. Some people are unfairly treated as pariahs because other people are uncomfortable around them for some reason, such as an illness. Still, pariahs are always the subject of avoidance. A social pariah is someone who is now avoided by everyone, especially their peers, perhaps because of a betrayal or an unpopular opinion or belief. In politics, a politician might be labeled as a pariah if their former allies distance themselves from them to avoid association with some scandal.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to pariah?

  • pariahdom (noun)
  • pariahism (noun)

What are some synonyms for pariah?

What are some words that share a root or word element with pariah

What are some words that often get used in discussing pariah?

How is pariah used in real life?

Pariah is often used to refer to someone who was once popular and is now avoided, perhaps even despised.

 

 

Try using pariah!

True or False?

A pariah has always done something to deserve such a status.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


Pariapariah dog