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pariah

[puh-rahy-uh]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

an outcast.
any person or animal that is generally despised or avoided.
none Pariah a member of a low caste in southern India and Myanmar (Burma).

pariah

/ ˈpærɪə, pəˈraɪə /

noun

a social outcast
(formerly) a member of a low caste in South India

pariah

An outcast; a member of a low caste or class.

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The word originally stems from the caste system of India, which put pariahs in a very low place in society. In the United States, it refers to those of low social class or social status.

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Other Word Forms

pariahdom noun
pariahism noun

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Word History and Origins

Origin of pariah¹

First recorded in 1605–15; from Tamil �貹ṟa��ⲹ��, plural of �貹ṟa��ⲹ�� literally, “drummer” (from a hereditary duty of the caste), derivative of �貹ṟa�� “festival drum”

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Word History and Origins

Origin of pariah¹

C17: from Tamil paraiyan drummer, from parai drum; so called because members of the caste were the drummers at festivals

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

He has turned a controversial but undeniably democratic and dynamic nation into a semi-authoritarian armed fortress and a global pariah.

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Rival politicians inside Israel accuse Netanyahu of presiding over war crimes and turning Israel into a pariah state.

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To my surprise, “The Plague” and “Alpha” turned out to share the exact same scene: a 13-year-old social pariah getting beaten up in a swimming pool and bleeding into the water.

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But Reubens felt like a pariah and the documentary shows him struggling in near-solitude for months after the incident.

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Russia is an important partner for China but Putin's invasion of Ukraine has made him an international pariah in much of the world.

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Related Words

leper��
outsider��
persona non grata��
vagabond��

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When To Use

�� does��pariah mean?

A pariah is an outcast or someone who’s despised and avoided.Pariah is often used to refer to a person who is widely shunned for some offense they have committed. It is often used in the phrase social pariah and in the context of politics.Example: Although the defendant was found not guilty, he was still treated like a pariah in his hometown, with formerly close friends now refusing to talk to him.

Paria pariah dog

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