See parlous in All languages combined, or Wiktionary
Download JSON data for parlous meaning in English (15.5kB)
{
"derived": [
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0",
"word": "parlously"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0",
"word": "parlousness"
}
],
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ine-pro",
"3": "*per-",
"id": "risk"
},
"expansion": "[Template:root]",
"name": "root"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "enm",
"3": "parles"
},
"expansion": "Middle English parles",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": "parlous"
},
"expansion": "parlous",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": "perlous"
},
"expansion": "perlous",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "parels, parlious, parlows, parlyous, parlyus, perleous, perlews, perlewse, perlios, perlious, perliouse, perlioux, perliouz, perlis, perlius, perllous, perlouse, perlus, perlyous, perlyows, perlys",
"otherforms": "1"
},
"expansion": "[and other forms]",
"name": "nb..."
},
{
"args": {
"1": "contraction"
},
"expansion": "contraction",
"name": "glossary"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": "perilous",
"t": "dangerous; dreadful, terrible; morally corrupt, sinful, wicked; inauspicious, unlucky"
},
"expansion": "perilous (“dangerous; dreadful, terrible; morally corrupt, sinful, wicked; inauspicious, unlucky”)",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "perilous",
"nocap": "1"
},
"expansion": "doublet of perilous",
"name": "doublet"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "fro",
"3": "perilleus"
},
"expansion": "Old French perilleus",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "fro",
"2": "perillos"
},
"expansion": "perillos",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "fro",
"2": "perillous"
},
"expansion": "perillous",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "fro",
"2": "perilluse"
},
"expansion": "perilluse",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "fro",
"2": "perilleuse"
},
"expansion": "perilleuse",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "fro",
"2": "perilleux",
"t": "very dangerous, perilous"
},
"expansion": "perilleux (“very dangerous, perilous”)",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "fr",
"2": "périlleux"
},
"expansion": "French périlleux",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "la",
"3": "perīculōsus",
"t": "dangerous, hazardous, perilous"
},
"expansion": "Latin perīculōsus (“dangerous, hazardous, perilous”)",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "la",
"2": "perīculum",
"t": "danger, hazard, peril, risk"
},
"expansion": "perīculum (“danger, hazard, peril, risk”)",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ine-pro",
"3": "*per-",
"t": "to dare, risk, try"
},
"expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *per- (“to dare, risk, try”)",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "adjective"
},
"expansion": "adjective",
"name": "glossary"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "la",
"2": "-ōsus",
"pos": "suffix meaning ‘full of, prone to’ forming adjectives"
},
"expansion": "-ōsus (suffix meaning ‘full of, prone to’ forming adjectives)",
"name": "m"
}
],
"etymology_text": "From Middle English parles, parlous, perlous, [and other forms], a contraction of perilous (“dangerous; dreadful, terrible; morally corrupt, sinful, wicked; inauspicious, unlucky”) (and thus a doublet of perilous), from Old French perilleus, perillos, perillous, perilluse, perilleuse, perilleux (“very dangerous, perilous”) (modern French périlleux), from Latin perīculōsus (“dangerous, hazardous, perilous”), from perīculum (“danger, hazard, peril, risk”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“to dare, risk, try”)) + -ōsus (suffix meaning ‘full of, prone to’ forming adjectives).",
"forms": [
{
"form": "more parlous",
"tags": [
"comparative"
]
},
{
"form": "most parlous",
"tags": [
"superlative"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "parlous (comparative more parlous, superlative most parlous)",
"name": "en-adj"
}
],
"hyphenation": [
"parl‧ous"
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "adj",
"related": [
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0",
"word": "imperil"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0",
"word": "imperilment"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0",
"word": "peril"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0",
"word": "perilous"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0",
"word": "perilously"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0",
"word": "perilousness"
}
],
"senses": [
{
"antonyms": [
{
"word": "safe"
}
],
"categories": [],
"examples": [
{
"text": "The situation became parlous when the weather made resupply impossible.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"ref": "a. 1678, Isaac Barrow, “Sermon XVII. The Folly of Slander.”, in The Theological Works of Isaac Barrow, D.D. […], volume I (Containing Twenty-four Sermons on Several Occasions), Oxford, Oxfordshire: University Press, published 1830, →OCLC, paragraph 6, pages 502–503",
"text": "The tongue is a sharp and parlous weapon, which we are bound to keep up in the sheath, or never to draw forth but advisedly, and upon just occasion; it must ever be wielded with caution and care: to brandish it wantonly, to lay about with it blindly and furiously, to slash and smite therewith any that happeth to come in our way, doth argue malice or madness.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1807 December, C[harles] Lamb, “Epilogue to Time’s a Tell-tale”, in The Literary Panorama. Being a Review of Books, Magazine of Varieties, and Annual Register; [...], volume III, London: […] Cox, Son, and Baylis, […], for C. Taylor, […], published March 1808, →OCLC, article III, column 607",
"text": "The safest way in such a parlous doubt, / Is steady watch and keep a sharp look out.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Attended with peril; dangerous, risky."
],
"id": "en-parlous-en-adj-K5g-HcGp",
"links": [
[
"Attended",
"attend"
],
[
"peril",
"peril"
],
[
"dangerous",
"dangerous"
],
[
"risky",
"risky"
]
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "dangerous"
}
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "English terms with collocations",
"parents": [
"Terms with collocations",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w"
},
{
"_dis": "8 42 50",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [
"Entries with incorrect language header",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "in a parlous state"
},
{
"ref": "1520, Thomas Worthyngton, “No. LXXV”, in William Brown, editor, Yorkshire Star Chamber Proceedings (The Yorkshire Archæological Society Record Series; LI), volume III, [Leeds, West Yorkshire]: []\">…] [J. Whitehead and Son] for the [Yorkshire Archaeological] Society, published 1914, →OCLC, page 178",
"text": "All whiche offences and mysdemenors abovesaid have bene commytted to the grete hurte and undoyng of your orator, and the right evill and parlous example, [etc.]; […]",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1593, [Thomas] Churchyard, “A Dollfvll Discovrse of a Great Lord and a Ladie. […]”, in Chvrchyards Challenge, London: […] John Wolfe, →OCLC, page 262",
"text": "The preſent panges and parlous thoughts, / That pearceth troubled minds: / Is knowne to none but ſuch I ſay, / That lacke of freedome finds.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1975 June 5, L[ancelot] R[aymond] Adams-Schneider, “Appropriation Bill—Financial Statement”, in Parliamentary Debates (Hansard): Third Session, Thirty-seventh Parliament (House of Representatives), volume 398, Wellington: A. R. Shearer, government printer, →OCLC, page 1844",
"text": "This is a Nero-like fiddling Budget which will frustrate and annoy people and will do nothing effective to get us out of this parlous state of near bankruptcy which the Labour Government has landed us in.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2002 February 6, Carl W. Ford, Jr., “Statement by Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research Carl W. Ford, Jr. before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Hearing on Current and Projected Threats to the National Security of the United States”, in Current and Projected National Security Threats to the United States: Hearing before the Select Committee on Intelligence of the United States Senate, One Hundred Seventh Congress, Second Session, Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, page 31",
"text": "Citizens who have endured the pain of short-term \"reform\" for the prospect of \"gain\" in the future grow impatient; incomplete or corrupted reform efforts have left many new democracies vulnerable and many new market economies in a parlous state.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2014, Ben Elton, chapter 11, in Time and Time Again, London: Black Swan, Transworld Publishers, published 2015, page 106",
"text": "During these suppers McCluskey's conversation centred almost exclusively around the parlous moral, cultural and environmental state of the planet.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2021 December 15, Robin Leleux, “Awards Honour the Best Restoration Projects: The Chairman’s Special Award: Cholsey & Wallingford Railway”, in Rail, number 946, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire: Bauer Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 54",
"text": "Relics of the old GWR broad gauge are rare on the national network. This overtrack canopy was one such, so the decision by the C&WR to retrieve it after electrification necessitated its demolition was a brave one, because its condition by then was parlous.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2023 July 17, Rhymer Rigby, “Sick of this Conservative government? That shouldn’t stop you having Tory friends”, in The Guardian, →ISSN",
"text": "You can learn from them, too, even in the party’s current parlous state.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Appalling, dire, terrible."
],
"id": "en-parlous-en-adj-ntoyljz8",
"links": [
[
"Appalling",
"appalling#Adjective"
],
[
"dire",
"dire"
],
[
"terrible",
"terrible"
]
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "English English",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
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{
"_dis": "8 42 50",
"kind": "other",
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"Entry maintenance"
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"source": "w+disamb"
}
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"examples": [
{
"ref": "1720, N[icholas] Amhurst, “The Bottle-scrue. A Tale”, in Poems on Several Occasions. […], London: […] R. Francklin, […], →OCLC, page 105",
"text": "The Patten, Fan, and Petticoat, / Three modern Themes of ſpecial Note, / In parlous rimes immortal live, / If rimes immortal life can give; […]",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Dangerously clever or cunning; also, remarkably good or unusual."
],
"id": "en-parlous-en-adj-P0l-Dn5W",
"links": [
[
"Dangerously",
"dangerously"
],
[
"clever",
"clever"
],
[
"cunning",
"cunning"
],
[
"remarkably",
"remarkably"
],
[
"good",
"good#Adjective"
],
[
"unusual",
"unusual"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(rare or obsolete, also England, dialectal) Dangerously clever or cunning; also, remarkably good or unusual."
],
"tags": [
"England",
"also",
"dialectal",
"obsolete",
"rare"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/ˈpɑːləs/",
"tags": [
"Received-Pronunciation"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˈpɑɹləs/",
"tags": [
"General-American"
]
},
{
"rhymes": "-ɑː(ɹ)ləs"
},
{
"audio": "En-uk-parlous.oga",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/d/d4/En-uk-parlous.oga/En-uk-parlous.oga.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/En-uk-parlous.oga",
"tags": [
"UK"
],
"text": "Audio (UK)"
}
],
"word": "parlous"
}
{
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"2": "ine-pro",
"3": "*per-",
"id": "risk"
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"expansion": "[Template:root]",
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{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "enm",
"3": "parles"
},
"expansion": "Middle English parles",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
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"2": "parlous"
},
"expansion": "parlous",
"name": "m"
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{
"args": {
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{
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"1": "parels, parlious, parlows, parlyous, parlyus, perleous, perlews, perlewse, perlios, perlious, perliouse, perlioux, perliouz, perlis, perlius, perllous, perlouse, perlus, perlyous, perlyows, perlys",
"otherforms": "1"
},
"expansion": "[and other forms]",
"name": "nb..."
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{
"args": {
"1": "contraction"
},
"expansion": "contraction",
"name": "glossary"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": "perilous",
"t": "dangerous; dreadful, terrible; morally corrupt, sinful, wicked; inauspicious, unlucky"
},
"expansion": "perilous (“dangerous; dreadful, terrible; morally corrupt, sinful, wicked; inauspicious, unlucky”)",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "perilous",
"nocap": "1"
},
"expansion": "doublet of perilous",
"name": "doublet"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "fro",
"3": "perilleus"
},
"expansion": "Old French perilleus",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "fro",
"2": "perillos"
},
"expansion": "perillos",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "fro",
"2": "perillous"
},
"expansion": "perillous",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "fro",
"2": "perilluse"
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"expansion": "perilluse",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "fro",
"2": "perilleuse"
},
"expansion": "perilleuse",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "fro",
"2": "perilleux",
"t": "very dangerous, perilous"
},
"expansion": "perilleux (“very dangerous, perilous”)",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "fr",
"2": "périlleux"
},
"expansion": "French périlleux",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "la",
"3": "perīculōsus",
"t": "dangerous, hazardous, perilous"
},
"expansion": "Latin perīculōsus (“dangerous, hazardous, perilous”)",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "la",
"2": "perīculum",
"t": "danger, hazard, peril, risk"
},
"expansion": "perīculum (“danger, hazard, peril, risk”)",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ine-pro",
"3": "*per-",
"t": "to dare, risk, try"
},
"expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *per- (“to dare, risk, try”)",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "adjective"
},
"expansion": "adjective",
"name": "glossary"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "la",
"2": "-ōsus",
"pos": "suffix meaning ‘full of, prone to’ forming adjectives"
},
"expansion": "-ōsus (suffix meaning ‘full of, prone to’ forming adjectives)",
"name": "m"
}
],
"etymology_text": "From Middle English parles, parlous, perlous, [and other forms], a contraction of perilous (“dangerous; dreadful, terrible; morally corrupt, sinful, wicked; inauspicious, unlucky”) (and thus a doublet of perilous), from Old French perilleus, perillos, perillous, perilluse, perilleuse, perilleux (“very dangerous, perilous”) (modern French périlleux), from Latin perīculōsus (“dangerous, hazardous, perilous”), from perīculum (“danger, hazard, peril, risk”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“to dare, risk, try”)) + -ōsus (suffix meaning ‘full of, prone to’ forming adjectives).",
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "-"
},
"expansion": "parlous (not comparable)",
"name": "en-adv"
}
],
"hyphenation": [
"parl‧ous"
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "adv",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "2 22 26 50",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
"parents": [
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"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "5 24 25 46",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English terms suffixed with -ous",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1919 August 6, Gerald Biss, “A Warning to Tourists: Shortage of Hotel Room”, in Bruce Ingram, editor, The Sketch, volume CVII, number 1384, London: Illustrated London News & Sketch, →OCLC, page 210",
"text": "[L]ast week I had a distinctly unpleasant experience, and came parlous near qualifying as a beachcomber. [...] I cast round, trying one or two charming little hotels within reasonable radius, only to find the \"house full\" boards up everywhere.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Extremely, very."
],
"id": "en-parlous-en-adv-mGzvWxOB",
"links": [
[
"Extremely",
"extremely"
],
[
"very",
"very"
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"raw_glosses": [
"(archaic) Extremely, very."
],
"tags": [
"archaic",
"not-comparable"
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}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/ˈpɑːləs/",
"tags": [
"Received-Pronunciation"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˈpɑɹləs/",
"tags": [
"General-American"
]
},
{
"rhymes": "-ɑː(ɹ)ləs"
},
{
"audio": "En-uk-parlous.oga",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/d/d4/En-uk-parlous.oga/En-uk-parlous.oga.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/En-uk-parlous.oga",
"tags": [
"UK"
],
"text": "Audio (UK)"
}
],
"word": "parlous"
}
{
"categories": [
"English 2-syllable words",
"English adjectives",
"English adverbs",
"English doublets",
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
"English lemmas",
"English terms derived from Latin",
"English terms derived from Middle English",
"English terms derived from Old French",
"English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European",
"English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *per- (risk)",
"English terms inherited from Middle English",
"English terms suffixed with -ous",
"English terms with IPA pronunciation",
"English terms with audio links",
"English uncomparable adverbs",
"Rhymes:English/ɑː(ɹ)ləs",
"Rhymes:English/ɑː(ɹ)ləs/2 syllables"
],
"derived": [
{
"word": "parlously"
},
{
"word": "parlousness"
}
],
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ine-pro",
"3": "*per-",
"id": "risk"
},
"expansion": "[Template:root]",
"name": "root"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "enm",
"3": "parles"
},
"expansion": "Middle English parles",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
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"2": "parlous"
},
"expansion": "parlous",
"name": "m"
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{
"args": {
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"2": "perlous"
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"name": "m"
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{
"args": {
"1": "parels, parlious, parlows, parlyous, parlyus, perleous, perlews, perlewse, perlios, perlious, perliouse, perlioux, perliouz, perlis, perlius, perllous, perlouse, perlus, perlyous, perlyows, perlys",
"otherforms": "1"
},
"expansion": "[and other forms]",
"name": "nb..."
},
{
"args": {
"1": "contraction"
},
"expansion": "contraction",
"name": "glossary"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": "perilous",
"t": "dangerous; dreadful, terrible; morally corrupt, sinful, wicked; inauspicious, unlucky"
},
"expansion": "perilous (“dangerous; dreadful, terrible; morally corrupt, sinful, wicked; inauspicious, unlucky”)",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "perilous",
"nocap": "1"
},
"expansion": "doublet of perilous",
"name": "doublet"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "fro",
"3": "perilleus"
},
"expansion": "Old French perilleus",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "fro",
"2": "perillos"
},
"expansion": "perillos",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "fro",
"2": "perillous"
},
"expansion": "perillous",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "fro",
"2": "perilluse"
},
"expansion": "perilluse",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "fro",
"2": "perilleuse"
},
"expansion": "perilleuse",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "fro",
"2": "perilleux",
"t": "very dangerous, perilous"
},
"expansion": "perilleux (“very dangerous, perilous”)",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "fr",
"2": "périlleux"
},
"expansion": "French périlleux",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "la",
"3": "perīculōsus",
"t": "dangerous, hazardous, perilous"
},
"expansion": "Latin perīculōsus (“dangerous, hazardous, perilous”)",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "la",
"2": "perīculum",
"t": "danger, hazard, peril, risk"
},
"expansion": "perīculum (“danger, hazard, peril, risk”)",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ine-pro",
"3": "*per-",
"t": "to dare, risk, try"
},
"expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *per- (“to dare, risk, try”)",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "adjective"
},
"expansion": "adjective",
"name": "glossary"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "la",
"2": "-ōsus",
"pos": "suffix meaning ‘full of, prone to’ forming adjectives"
},
"expansion": "-ōsus (suffix meaning ‘full of, prone to’ forming adjectives)",
"name": "m"
}
],
"etymology_text": "From Middle English parles, parlous, perlous, [and other forms], a contraction of perilous (“dangerous; dreadful, terrible; morally corrupt, sinful, wicked; inauspicious, unlucky”) (and thus a doublet of perilous), from Old French perilleus, perillos, perillous, perilluse, perilleuse, perilleux (“very dangerous, perilous”) (modern French périlleux), from Latin perīculōsus (“dangerous, hazardous, perilous”), from perīculum (“danger, hazard, peril, risk”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“to dare, risk, try”)) + -ōsus (suffix meaning ‘full of, prone to’ forming adjectives).",
"forms": [
{
"form": "more parlous",
"tags": [
"comparative"
]
},
{
"form": "most parlous",
"tags": [
"superlative"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "parlous (comparative more parlous, superlative most parlous)",
"name": "en-adj"
}
],
"hyphenation": [
"parl‧ous"
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "adj",
"related": [
{
"word": "imperil"
},
{
"word": "imperilment"
},
{
"word": "peril"
},
{
"word": "perilous"
},
{
"word": "perilously"
},
{
"word": "perilousness"
}
],
"senses": [
{
"antonyms": [
{
"word": "safe"
}
],
"categories": [
"English terms with quotations",
"English terms with usage examples"
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "The situation became parlous when the weather made resupply impossible.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"ref": "a. 1678, Isaac Barrow, “Sermon XVII. The Folly of Slander.”, in The Theological Works of Isaac Barrow, D.D. […], volume I (Containing Twenty-four Sermons on Several Occasions), Oxford, Oxfordshire: University Press, published 1830, →OCLC, paragraph 6, pages 502–503",
"text": "The tongue is a sharp and parlous weapon, which we are bound to keep up in the sheath, or never to draw forth but advisedly, and upon just occasion; it must ever be wielded with caution and care: to brandish it wantonly, to lay about with it blindly and furiously, to slash and smite therewith any that happeth to come in our way, doth argue malice or madness.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1807 December, C[harles] Lamb, “Epilogue to Time’s a Tell-tale”, in The Literary Panorama. Being a Review of Books, Magazine of Varieties, and Annual Register; [...], volume III, London: […] Cox, Son, and Baylis, […], for C. Taylor, […], published March 1808, →OCLC, article III, column 607",
"text": "The safest way in such a parlous doubt, / Is steady watch and keep a sharp look out.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Attended with peril; dangerous, risky."
],
"links": [
[
"Attended",
"attend"
],
[
"peril",
"peril"
],
[
"dangerous",
"dangerous"
],
[
"risky",
"risky"
]
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "dangerous"
}
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English terms with collocations",
"English terms with quotations"
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "in a parlous state"
},
{
"ref": "1520, Thomas Worthyngton, “No. LXXV”, in William Brown, editor, Yorkshire Star Chamber Proceedings (The Yorkshire Archæological Society Record Series; LI), volume III, [Leeds, West Yorkshire]: []\">…] [J. Whitehead and Son] for the [Yorkshire Archaeological] Society, published 1914, →OCLC, page 178",
"text": "All whiche offences and mysdemenors abovesaid have bene commytted to the grete hurte and undoyng of your orator, and the right evill and parlous example, [etc.]; […]",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1593, [Thomas] Churchyard, “A Dollfvll Discovrse of a Great Lord and a Ladie. […]”, in Chvrchyards Challenge, London: […] John Wolfe, →OCLC, page 262",
"text": "The preſent panges and parlous thoughts, / That pearceth troubled minds: / Is knowne to none but ſuch I ſay, / That lacke of freedome finds.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1975 June 5, L[ancelot] R[aymond] Adams-Schneider, “Appropriation Bill—Financial Statement”, in Parliamentary Debates (Hansard): Third Session, Thirty-seventh Parliament (House of Representatives), volume 398, Wellington: A. R. Shearer, government printer, →OCLC, page 1844",
"text": "This is a Nero-like fiddling Budget which will frustrate and annoy people and will do nothing effective to get us out of this parlous state of near bankruptcy which the Labour Government has landed us in.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2002 February 6, Carl W. Ford, Jr., “Statement by Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research Carl W. Ford, Jr. before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Hearing on Current and Projected Threats to the National Security of the United States”, in Current and Projected National Security Threats to the United States: Hearing before the Select Committee on Intelligence of the United States Senate, One Hundred Seventh Congress, Second Session, Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, page 31",
"text": "Citizens who have endured the pain of short-term \"reform\" for the prospect of \"gain\" in the future grow impatient; incomplete or corrupted reform efforts have left many new democracies vulnerable and many new market economies in a parlous state.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2014, Ben Elton, chapter 11, in Time and Time Again, London: Black Swan, Transworld Publishers, published 2015, page 106",
"text": "During these suppers McCluskey's conversation centred almost exclusively around the parlous moral, cultural and environmental state of the planet.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2021 December 15, Robin Leleux, “Awards Honour the Best Restoration Projects: The Chairman’s Special Award: Cholsey & Wallingford Railway”, in Rail, number 946, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire: Bauer Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 54",
"text": "Relics of the old GWR broad gauge are rare on the national network. This overtrack canopy was one such, so the decision by the C&WR to retrieve it after electrification necessitated its demolition was a brave one, because its condition by then was parlous.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2023 July 17, Rhymer Rigby, “Sick of this Conservative government? That shouldn’t stop you having Tory friends”, in The Guardian, →ISSN",
"text": "You can learn from them, too, even in the party’s current parlous state.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Appalling, dire, terrible."
],
"links": [
[
"Appalling",
"appalling#Adjective"
],
[
"dire",
"dire"
],
[
"terrible",
"terrible"
]
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English English",
"English dialectal terms",
"English terms with obsolete senses",
"English terms with quotations",
"English terms with rare senses"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1720, N[icholas] Amhurst, “The Bottle-scrue. A Tale”, in Poems on Several Occasions. […], London: […] R. Francklin, […], →OCLC, page 105",
"text": "The Patten, Fan, and Petticoat, / Three modern Themes of ſpecial Note, / In parlous rimes immortal live, / If rimes immortal life can give; […]",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Dangerously clever or cunning; also, remarkably good or unusual."
],
"links": [
[
"Dangerously",
"dangerously"
],
[
"clever",
"clever"
],
[
"cunning",
"cunning"
],
[
"remarkably",
"remarkably"
],
[
"good",
"good#Adjective"
],
[
"unusual",
"unusual"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(rare or obsolete, also England, dialectal) Dangerously clever or cunning; also, remarkably good or unusual."
],
"tags": [
"England",
"also",
"dialectal",
"obsolete",
"rare"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/ˈpɑːləs/",
"tags": [
"Received-Pronunciation"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˈpɑɹləs/",
"tags": [
"General-American"
]
},
{
"rhymes": "-ɑː(ɹ)ləs"
},
{
"audio": "En-uk-parlous.oga",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/d/d4/En-uk-parlous.oga/En-uk-parlous.oga.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/En-uk-parlous.oga",
"tags": [
"UK"
],
"text": "Audio (UK)"
}
],
"word": "parlous"
}
{
"categories": [
"English 2-syllable words",
"English adjectives",
"English adverbs",
"English doublets",
"English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
"English lemmas",
"English terms derived from Latin",
"English terms derived from Middle English",
"English terms derived from Old French",
"English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European",
"English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *per- (risk)",
"English terms inherited from Middle English",
"English terms suffixed with -ous",
"English terms with IPA pronunciation",
"English terms with audio links",
"English uncomparable adverbs",
"Rhymes:English/ɑː(ɹ)ləs",
"Rhymes:English/ɑː(ɹ)ləs/2 syllables"
],
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ine-pro",
"3": "*per-",
"id": "risk"
},
"expansion": "[Template:root]",
"name": "root"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "enm",
"3": "parles"
},
"expansion": "Middle English parles",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": "parlous"
},
"expansion": "parlous",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": "perlous"
},
"expansion": "perlous",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "parels, parlious, parlows, parlyous, parlyus, perleous, perlews, perlewse, perlios, perlious, perliouse, perlioux, perliouz, perlis, perlius, perllous, perlouse, perlus, perlyous, perlyows, perlys",
"otherforms": "1"
},
"expansion": "[and other forms]",
"name": "nb..."
},
{
"args": {
"1": "contraction"
},
"expansion": "contraction",
"name": "glossary"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": "perilous",
"t": "dangerous; dreadful, terrible; morally corrupt, sinful, wicked; inauspicious, unlucky"
},
"expansion": "perilous (“dangerous; dreadful, terrible; morally corrupt, sinful, wicked; inauspicious, unlucky”)",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "perilous",
"nocap": "1"
},
"expansion": "doublet of perilous",
"name": "doublet"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "fro",
"3": "perilleus"
},
"expansion": "Old French perilleus",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "fro",
"2": "perillos"
},
"expansion": "perillos",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "fro",
"2": "perillous"
},
"expansion": "perillous",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "fro",
"2": "perilluse"
},
"expansion": "perilluse",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "fro",
"2": "perilleuse"
},
"expansion": "perilleuse",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "fro",
"2": "perilleux",
"t": "very dangerous, perilous"
},
"expansion": "perilleux (“very dangerous, perilous”)",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "fr",
"2": "périlleux"
},
"expansion": "French périlleux",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "la",
"3": "perīculōsus",
"t": "dangerous, hazardous, perilous"
},
"expansion": "Latin perīculōsus (“dangerous, hazardous, perilous”)",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "la",
"2": "perīculum",
"t": "danger, hazard, peril, risk"
},
"expansion": "perīculum (“danger, hazard, peril, risk”)",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ine-pro",
"3": "*per-",
"t": "to dare, risk, try"
},
"expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *per- (“to dare, risk, try”)",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "adjective"
},
"expansion": "adjective",
"name": "glossary"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "la",
"2": "-ōsus",
"pos": "suffix meaning ‘full of, prone to’ forming adjectives"
},
"expansion": "-ōsus (suffix meaning ‘full of, prone to’ forming adjectives)",
"name": "m"
}
],
"etymology_text": "From Middle English parles, parlous, perlous, [and other forms], a contraction of perilous (“dangerous; dreadful, terrible; morally corrupt, sinful, wicked; inauspicious, unlucky”) (and thus a doublet of perilous), from Old French perilleus, perillos, perillous, perilluse, perilleuse, perilleux (“very dangerous, perilous”) (modern French périlleux), from Latin perīculōsus (“dangerous, hazardous, perilous”), from perīculum (“danger, hazard, peril, risk”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“to dare, risk, try”)) + -ōsus (suffix meaning ‘full of, prone to’ forming adjectives).",
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "-"
},
"expansion": "parlous (not comparable)",
"name": "en-adv"
}
],
"hyphenation": [
"parl‧ous"
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "adv",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"English terms with archaic senses",
"English terms with quotations"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1919 August 6, Gerald Biss, “A Warning to Tourists: Shortage of Hotel Room”, in Bruce Ingram, editor, The Sketch, volume CVII, number 1384, London: Illustrated London News & Sketch, →OCLC, page 210",
"text": "[L]ast week I had a distinctly unpleasant experience, and came parlous near qualifying as a beachcomber. [...] I cast round, trying one or two charming little hotels within reasonable radius, only to find the \"house full\" boards up everywhere.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Extremely, very."
],
"links": [
[
"Extremely",
"extremely"
],
[
"very",
"very"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(archaic) Extremely, very."
],
"tags": [
"archaic",
"not-comparable"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/ˈpɑːləs/",
"tags": [
"Received-Pronunciation"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˈpɑɹləs/",
"tags": [
"General-American"
]
},
{
"rhymes": "-ɑː(ɹ)ləs"
},
{
"audio": "En-uk-parlous.oga",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/d/d4/En-uk-parlous.oga/En-uk-parlous.oga.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/En-uk-parlous.oga",
"tags": [
"UK"
],
"text": "Audio (UK)"
}
],
"word": "parlous"
}
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-04-17 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-01 using wiktextract (0b52755 and 5cb0836). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.