adjective
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dangerous or difficult
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cunning
adverb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of parlous
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, variant of perlous, shortening of perilous
Explanation
Parlous is an adjective that means "dangerous," such as the parlous car trip with a new driver behind the wheel! The first syllable in parlous rhymes with far and is accented: "PAR-less." It means dangerous — something that is parlous might carry the risk or threat of harm, like a parlous experience of being in a boat during a rainstorm. Parlous and perilous are synonyms. In fact, parlous is a shortened version, or contraction, of perilous that came about in the late 14th century.
Vocabulary lists containing parlous
"Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, Act I
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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.
Suzuki, in an autobiography, recalled how shocked he was at the parlous state of some U.S. stores.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 25, 2026
A total electricity breakdown on Monday underscored the parlous state of the economy.
From Barron's ● Mar. 17, 2026
This isn’t the first time that someone has tried to use AI as a shortcut, with parlous consequences.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 17, 2026
You can make a good argument that this news is bearish for bonds, because it surely raises further questions about parlous finances of the U.S. government.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 20, 2026
Arrogance has always been justly called the “vice of the sage”; yet without this vice, fruitful in impulses, Truth and her status on earth would be in a parlous plight.
From Human, All-Too-Human, Part II by Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche
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.
