Definition of pariahnext
as in outcast
one who is cast out or rejected by society I felt like a pariah when I wore the wrong outfit to the dinner party

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pariah From pariah to power broker The Crown Prince’s grip on power has insulated him from international prosecution. Connor Greene, Time, 17 Nov. 2025 Here is my coven of women authors and their pariah creation—sometimes literal monsters, sometimes the monster of the desirous self. Diana Arterian, Literary Hub, 14 Nov. 2025 Over two terms, de Blasio alienated many New Yorkers and became a pariah among Democratic politicians. Nicole West Bassoff, The Conversation, 14 Nov. 2025 Few if any of the originators attend now that the Santas are less social pariahs and law breakers and more fraternity brothers and junior bankers. Chuck Palahniuk, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pariah
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pariah
Noun
  • Badly in Love brings together societal outcasts — individuals who have lived beyond conventional rules and etiquette — in search of love and redemption.
    Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 27 Jan. 2026
  • There’s a cast of wanderers, visionaries, and itinerants, the self-educated and self-published, a long lineage of cranks and outcasts, mostly penurious, always opinionated, stretching away into the mists of pseudohistory.
    Hari Kunzru, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • The palpable aversion to what has become the enterprise software leper colony doesn't help tech's case either.
    Jim Cramer, CNBC, 18 Jan. 2026
  • The song describes Ziggy as the confluence of the leper—the great biblical outcast—and the Messiah.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • These days, the aviary houses parakeets that are mostly rejects from friends whose kids got bored with them.
    Inga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Jan. 2026
  • In it, Jackson Lamb (Oldman), River Cartwright (Jack Lowden) and the rest of the MI5 rejects are on the case — and a bit on the defense.
    Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Being chosen to participate in such a landmark season is a dream and knowing all the castaways that did not make it here is humbling.
    Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Jan. 2026
  • The cafe’s opening in the 305 is pegged to the 50th season of the iconic series, in which a group of castaways in a remote location are forced to fend for themselves while the world watches.
    Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 27 Jan. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pariah.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pariah. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on pariah

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!