as in dangerous
involving potential loss or injury
window washing can indeed be a parlous occupation on a skyscraper
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Recent Examples of parlous
Put more directly, the idea of taking a nap in the Royal Box within arm’s length of the Queen during a Wimbledon match seems a parlous choice of lollygagging terrain.
—
Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 12 July 2025
Filling the stage with androgynous women dressed in black and making sometimes terrifying use of pure white light and heavy industrial techno, the latest interpretative dance extravaganza appeared to be a Lynchian comment on the parlous state of today’s world.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 5 July 2025
Trump and his advisers seem to believe that, despite the country’s allegedly parlous condition, unilateral action on Washington’s part can still force others to capitulate and submit to American terms.
—Kori Schake, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025
Read More: Where Pope Leo Stands on Specific Issues
Pope Leo also faces challenges of a more practical nature, such as the Vatican’s parlous financial state and its diplomatic ties.
—Aryn Baker, Time, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for parlous
Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 12 July 2025
Filling the stage with androgynous women dressed in black and making sometimes terrifying use of pure white light and heavy industrial techno, the latest interpretative dance extravaganza appeared to be a Lynchian comment on the parlous state of today’s world.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 5 July 2025
Trump and his advisers seem to believe that, despite the country’s allegedly parlous condition, unilateral action on Washington’s part can still force others to capitulate and submit to American terms.
—Kori Schake, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025
Read More: Where Pope Leo Stands on Specific Issues
Pope Leo also faces challenges of a more practical nature, such as the Vatican’s parlous financial state and its diplomatic ties.
—Aryn Baker, Time, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for parlous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for parlous
Adjective
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Without reliably cold temperatures, snow is wetter and thinner, conditions are rainier — and for athletes that can be dangerous.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
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Luge is the most dangerous of the three sliding sports (bobsled and skeleton are the others) — ironic because athletes in that event actually have the most control.—
Lindsay Schnell,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The study, and the training, include best practices for handling and disposing of hazardous waste, Gabriel said.—
Rachel Becker,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Feb. 2026
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At least 12 of the 169 chemicals detected in the new analysis have been associated with cancer, birth defects and reproductive issues and are included in California’s Proposition 65 hazardous chemicals list.—
Aude Konan,
Scientific American,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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In a cult classic 1976 film, The Bill Koch Experience, the star slaloms at perilous speed through low brush, dodges cows in a pasture, and also leaps off a boulder, only to tumble.—
Bill Donahue,
Outside,
14 Feb. 2026
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Had all three missed the right answer, as did indeed happen, the trio would have gone into a perilous tiebreaker.—
Claire McNear,
Rolling Stone,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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As procedures have become more precise, recovery times shorter, and complications rarer, surgeons have grown more willing to operate in cases once considered too risky.—
Chris Pope,
Washington Post,
10 Feb. 2026
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Dismissing the benefits of precious metals in this climate, then, could be both risky and counterproductive.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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In a statement to NBC News, Daiichi Sankyo, which makes Savaysa, said that the drug is used to reduce the risk of stroke and clots but added that anticoagulants can increase the risk of serious bleeding.—
David Cox,
NBC news,
5 Feb. 2026
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Many of these people had been charged with serious crimes like assaulting security officers or bus and train operators, weapons possession, or threatening drivers.—
Amber Gaudet
Updated February 5,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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This could be precarious territory, given the negative history many Black communities have reported having with police departments.—
Demetrius Patterson,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Feb. 2026
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In the past, migrants with few other options have also taken precarious boat rides from Cuba to Florida's coast.—
Greg Norman-Diamond,
FOXNews.com,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Parlous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parlous. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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