parlous

C2+ Topic:Safety & Risk

US /ˈpɑrləs/ UK /ˈpɑːləs/ See IPA manual

adj adv

Meanings

1

adj
full of danger or uncertainty; perilous

The nation's finances were in a parlous state after the crisis.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · full of danger or... perilous dangerous hazardous precarious risky dire

Opposites

safe secure stable

Word family

Derived forms parlouslyparlousness

Related forms peril perilous imperil

Etymology

A late Middle English syncopated variant of perilous, from Old French perillous, from Latin periculosus 'dangerous', from periculum 'danger, trial'.

perillous Old French periculum Latin

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Topics

Safety & Risk Word Formation & Derivatives

# parlous

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj, adv
**IPA (US):** ˈpɑrləs
**IPA (UK):** ˈpɑːləs

## Meanings
1. full of danger or uncertainty; perilous

## Examples
- The nation's finances were in a parlous state after the crisis.

## Synonyms
- perilous
- dangerous
- hazardous
- precarious
- risky
- dire

## Antonyms
- safe
- secure
- stable

## Derived Forms
- parlously
- parlousness

## Related Forms
- peril
- perilous
- imperil

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: perillous
- Root: periculum

## Etymology
A late Middle English syncopated variant of perilous, from Old French perillous, from Latin periculosus 'dangerous', from periculum 'danger, trial'.

## AI Etymology
Parlous is a late Middle English syncopated variant of perilous, from Old French perillous, from Latin periculosus 'dangerous', from periculum 'danger, trial'. Important recorded forms include perillous (Old French) and periculum (Latin). The modern sense follows that older lexical line closely. In current use it covers full of danger or uncertainty; perilous. The wider family includes derived forms such as parlously and parlousness and related words such as peril, perilous, and imperil.

## Topics
- Safety & Risk
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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parlous

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