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”
Explanation
A pariah is someone that has been soundly rejected by their community. Your constant gossiping might make you a pariah on campus. Pariah takes its name from a tribe in Southeast India. The pariahs were drummers, sorcerers, and servants who became untouchables in Indian society because of the unsanitary jobs they did. Pariah maintains this sense of untouchableness. Pariahs are not just unliked, they are avoided at all costs. Imagine how a once popular restaurant could gain pariah status if it fails health inspections three times in a row.
Vocabulary lists containing pariah
300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
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Language Gone Wrong: Words That Started Out as Errors
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Hidden Figures
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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.
Addis has been looking to its neighbor and on-again, off-again enemy, Eritrea, a small pariah state to the east with a relatively long Red Sea coastline.
From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026
Discord won’t remain a pariah; instead, its moves are a harbinger of what’s coming for every major online space.
From Slate • Feb. 11, 2026
Its status as an international pariah has all but erased the country from the stage of global sports.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026
Back then there had been many years of engagement between the generals and an assortment of UN envoys, exploring ways to end their pariah status and re-engage with the rest of the world.
From BBC • Jan. 14, 2026
I feel like a pariah when I walk through the streets.
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
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.
