Parlous
Parlous is a word that isn’t commonly used in everyday conversation, but it’s worth knowing. Parlous means something is in a risky or dangerous situation. When a situation is described as parlous, it suggests that there is a significant level of risk or uncertainty involved. If someone is in a parlous financial state, it means they are in a precarious or risky financial situation where things could go wrong. Similarly, if a country is facing parlous economic conditions, it implies that the economy is in a dangerous or unstable state.
Understanding the term parlous helps convey a sense of seriousness and potential danger in a situation. It’s often used in a formal or literary context to emphasize the gravity of a circumstance. People might use it to describe anything from a risky investment to a hazardous journey.