as in dangerous
involving potential loss or injury
window washing can indeed be a parlous occupation on a skyscraper
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of parlous
Given the parlous state of Pyongyang’s relations with Washington and Seoul since the failure of the Hanoi summit in 2019, there are few guardrails in place to prevent complex situations from spiraling out of control.
—
Sue Mi Terry, Foreign Affairs, 30 Jan. 2024
The challenge in Arizona will be especially fraught given the parlous condition of the Arizona Republican Party.
—The Editors, National Review, 11 Apr. 2024
Its parlous finances have forced all but a handful of its greatest generation to leave.
—Rory Smith, New York Times, 27 Oct. 2023
Neither Lebanon nor, by extension, Hezbollah can afford another major war with Israel, particularly under the current parlous circumstances.
—Hussein Ibish, The New Republic, 24 Oct. 2023
See all Example Sentences for parlous 
Sue Mi Terry, Foreign Affairs, 30 Jan. 2024
The challenge in Arizona will be especially fraught given the parlous condition of the Arizona Republican Party.
—The Editors, National Review, 11 Apr. 2024
Its parlous finances have forced all but a handful of its greatest generation to leave.
—Rory Smith, New York Times, 27 Oct. 2023
Neither Lebanon nor, by extension, Hezbollah can afford another major war with Israel, particularly under the current parlous circumstances.
—Hussein Ibish, The New Republic, 24 Oct. 2023
See all Example Sentences for parlous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for parlous
Adjective
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Schools districts throughout Kentucky closed on Monday, citing flooded streets, dangerous travel conditions and power outages that impacted some 15,000 homes and businesses.—
Christopher Cann,
USA TODAY,
18 Feb. 2025
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Hamilton said that wind shear combined with an icy runway would make dangerous conditions for a flip.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
18 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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However, the Cutler documentary project could examine a downside to seizing Greenland (apart from disrupting the NATO alliance): the site is strewn with hazardous material.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
11 Feb. 2025
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The way that the power cable loops out in some shots does look a bit hazardous, although it could presumably be tucked in better for out-on-the-street use.—
Ben Coxworth,
New Atlas,
10 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Nolan’s mythic action epic, shot with new Imax cameras, is based on the ancient Greek poem by Homer which follows Odysseus, King of Ithaca, and his perilous journey home after the Trojan War.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
10 Feb. 2025
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Over the next three days, the serum changed hands multiple times, with teams of mushers and dogs navigating increasingly perilous conditions.—
David Kindy,
Smithsonian Magazine,
28 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Higher speeds, impairment caused by alcohol and cannabis use, and other risky driver behaviors were involved in the majority of 2023’s fatal county crashes, according to Wawrzyniak.—
Kay Johnson,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
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Employment reduces economic pressures that lead to risky behaviors, offering stability and alternatives to crime.—
Keith Howard,
New York Daily News,
7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Monday's crash is the fifth serious aviation incident since late January, including the crash at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport near Washington, D.C., between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines passenger plane that left 67 dead.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
18 Feb. 2025
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For years, though, the independent federal agency took serious enforcement actions, which were spurred by consumer complaints and investigative reports.—
Susan Tompor,
USA TODAY,
18 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Life took a precarious turn, however, in early 1941.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2025
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Public sympathy for those addicted to drugs has always been precarious.—
TIME,
TIME,
10 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near parlous
Cite this Entry
“Parlous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parlous. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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