parlous
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈpɑːləs/
ipa: /ˈpɑɹləs/
rhymes: -ɑː(ɹ)ləs
Forms: form: more parlous
form: most parlous
Etymology: 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 go through, carry forth, try”)) + -ōsus (suffix meaning ‘full of, prone to’ forming adjectives).
Senses: examples: text: The situation became parlous when the weather made resupply impossible.
text: [B]ables and comedies are parlous fellowes to decipher, and diſcourage men (that is the point) with their wittie flowtes and learned jerkes, enough to laſh any man out of countenance.
ref: 1593, Gabriell Haruey [i.e., Gabriel Harvey], Pierces Supererogation: Or A New Prayse of the Old Asse. A Preparative to Certaine Larger Discourses, Intituled Nashes S. Fame, London: […] Iohn Wolfe, →OCLC; republished as John Payne Collier, editor, Pierces Supererogation: Or A New Prayse of the Old Asse. […] (Miscellaneous Tracts. Temp. Eliz. & Jac. I; no. 8), [London]: [s.n.], [1870], →OCLC, page 137:
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.
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 safest way in such a parlous doubt, / Is steady watch and keep a sharp look out.
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:
synonyms: word: dangerous
word: dangersome
word: hazardous
word: jeopardous
word: wicked
word: parlous
word: periculous
word: perilous
word: precarious
word: risky
word: unsafe
glosses: Attended with peril; dangerous, risky.
examples: text: in a parlous state
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.]; […]
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]: []">…
text: The preſent panges and parlous thoughts, / That pearceth troubled minds: / Is knowne to none but ſuch I ſay, / That lacke of freedome finds.
ref: 1593, [Thomas] Churchyard, “A Dollfvll Discovrse of a Great Lord and a Ladie. […]”, in Chvrchyards Challenge, London: […] John Wolfe, →OCLC, page 262:
text: [Nick] Bot[tom]. There are things in this Comedy of Piramus and Thisby, that will neuer pleaſe. Firſt, Piramus muſt draw a ſword to kill himſelfe; which the Ladys cannot abide. How anſwer you that? / [Tom] Snout. Berlaken, a parlous feare.
ref: c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, A Midsommer Nights Dreame. […] (First Quarto), London: […] [Richard Bradock] for Thomas Fisher, […], published 1600, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:
english: Nick Bottom. There are things in this comedy of Pyramus and Thisbe that will never please. First, Pyramus must draw a sword to kill himself, which the ladies cannot abide. How do you answer that? / Tom Snout. By 'r lakin [i.e., by our Lady], a dire problem.
translation: Nick Bottom. There are things in this comedy of Pyramus and Thisbe that will never please. First, Pyramus must draw a sword to kill himself, which the ladies cannot abide. How do you answer that? / Tom Snout. By 'r lakin [i.e., by our Lady], a dire problem.
bold_translation_offsets: 244
248
text: Thou haſt a parlous judgement; but let that paſſe, / She is as truly vertuous, faire, and noble, / As her great Mother's good; and that's not ordinary.
ref: c. 1619–1623, John Fletcher, “Women Pleas’d”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, Act I, scene i, page 25, column 1:
text: Isa. Y'are a parlous Fool.
Ant. No danger in me: I bring nought but Love
ref: 1622 (first performance), Thomas Middleton, William Rowley, The Changeling: […], London: […] [Thomas Newcombe] for Humphrey Moseley, […], published 1653, →OCLC, Act III, signature E2, verso:
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.
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: 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.
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, →ISBN, page 31:
text: During these suppers McCluskey's conversation centred almost exclusively around the parlous moral, cultural and environmental state of the planet.
ref: 2014, Ben Elton, chapter 11, in Time and Time Again, London: Black Swan, Transworld Publishers, published 2015, →ISBN, page 106:
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.
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: You can learn from them, too, even in the party’s current parlous state.
ref: 2023 July 17, Rhymer Rigby, “Sick of this Conservative government? That shouldn’t stop you having Tory friends”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
glosses: Appalling, dire, terrible.
examples: text: A parlous Boy: go too, you are too ſhrew'd.
ref: c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iv], page 185, column 1:
text: [O]h their parlous fellows, they will ſearch more with their wits than a Cunſtable with all his officers.
ref: 1607, W. S. [attributed to Thomas Middleton or William Shakespeare (doubtful)], The Pvritaine. Or The VViddovv of Watling-streete. […], imprinted at London: By G[eorge] Eld, →OCLC, Act III:
text: This Midas knew: and durſt communicate / To none but to his wife his ears of ſtate: / One muſt be truſted, and he thought her fit, / As paſſing prudent, and a parlous wit.
ref: a. 1701 (date written), John Dryden, “[Tales from [Geoffrey] Chaucer] The Wife of Bath, Her Tale”, in The Miscellaneous Works of John Dryden, […], volume III, London: […] J[acob] and R[ichard] Tonson, […], published 1760, →OCLC, page 222:
text: The Patten, Fan, and Petticoat, / Three modern Themes of ſpecial Note, / In parlous rimes immortal live, / If rimes immortal life can give; […]
ref: 1720, N[icholas] Amhurst, “The Bottle-scrue. A Tale”, in Poems on Several Occasions. […], London: […] R. Francklin, […], →OCLC, page 105:
glosses: Dangerously clever or cunning; also, remarkably good or unusual.
Derived terms: parlously
parlousness
Related terms: imperil
imperilment
peril
perilous
perilously
perilousness