• (RP) IPA: /ˈpɑːləs/
• (GA) IPA: /ˈpɑɹləs/

parlous

1. Attended with peril; dangerous, risky.

   Synonyms: Thesaurus:dangerous

   Antonyms: Thesaurus:safe

   The situation became parlous when the weather made resupply impossible.

   • 1593, Gabriel Harvey, Pierces Supererogation: Or A New Prayse of the Old Asse, London: Imprinted by Iohn Wolfe, OCLC 165778203 ↗; republished as John Payne Collier, editor, Pierces Supererogation: Or A New Prayse of the Old Asse. A Preparative to Certaine Larger Discourses, Intituled Nashes S. Fame (Miscellaneous Tracts. Temp. Eliz. & Jac. I; no. 8), [London: [s.n.], 1870], OCLC 23963073 ↗, page 137 ↗:

     [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.

2. appalling#Adjective|Appalling, dire, terrible.

   Those manning the facility were in a parlous state.

   • c. 1595–1596, William Shakespeare, A Midsommer Nights Dreame. […] (First Quarto), [London]: Printed by Iames Roberts, published 1600, OCLC 35186948 ↗, [Act III, scene i] ↗:

     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? / Snout. Berlaken, a parlous feare.

     Bottom. There are things in this comedy of ''{{w

   • c. 1619–1623, John Fletcher, “Women Pleas’d”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: Printed for Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, OCLC 3083972 ↗, Act I, scene i, page 25 ↗, column 1:

     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.

   • 1653, Thomas Middleton; William Rowley, The Changeling: […], London: Printed [by Thomas Newcombe] for Humphrey Moseley, […], OCLC 228724293 ↗, Act III ↗:

     Y'are a parlous Fool.

3. (rare or obsolete, also, England, dialectal) Dangerously clever or cunning; also, remarkably good#Adjective|good or unusual.
   • c. 1593, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act II, scene iv], page 185 ↗, column 1:

     A parlous Boy: go too, you are too ſhrew'd.

   • 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 81461068 ↗, Act III ↗:

     [O]h their parlous fellows, they will ſearch more with their wits than a Cunſtable with all his officers.

   • a. 1701, John Dryden, “[Tales from [Geoffrey] Chaucer] The Wife of Bath, Her Tale”, in The Miscellaneous Works of John Dryden, […], volume III, London: Printed for J[acob] and R[ichard] Tonson, […], published 1760, OCLC 863244003 ↗, page 222 ↗:

     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.

• imperil
• imperilment
• peril
• perilous
• perilously
• perilousness

parlous (not comparable)

1. (archaic) Extremely, very.