pariah Hear it!

pariah Definition

pa·riah (pə rīə; Brit also parē ə)

noun

  1. a member of one of the lowest social castes in India
  2. any person despised or rejected by others; outcast

Etymology: Tamil paṛaiyan, drummer < paṛai, a drum: the pariah was a hereditary drumbeater

pariah Synonyms

pariah

n.

outcast, leper, nonperson, scapegoat, one in disgrace, untouchable; see also refugee.

pariah Usage Examples

Preposition: of

  • world: We have been rendered defenseless: we are without rights: we have become the pariahs of the world.
  • society: Only the lowest of the low, the outcasts and pariahs of society, frequented this forgotten part of the great metropolis.

Converse of object

  • become: Those among us that still adhere to the fallen idols of their old world must become the pariahs of our New Society.
  • make: These renegade oppressors must be made pariahs by the rest of the world.
  • remain: Through this divine love the untouchable becomes pure, the pariah no longer remains a pariah.
  • include: Tamils have a long association with the British and words incorporated into English include pariah and catamaran.

Adjective modifier

  • international: It is a declaration that any country which does not follow the Paris Charter will become an international pariah.
  • social: Will they be banished outdoors with the smokers, like social pariahs left to contemplate their sins?
  • political: The opencast coal mining industry has been made to appear a political pariah with the result that hundreds of jobs have been lost.
  • global: Witnessing the transition of South Africa from a global pariah to a respected beacon among nations.
  • modern: Contents | Bibliography iii Social rights of illegal Immigrants " Illegal " foreigners are modern pariahs.
  • isolated: You admit to feeling like " an isolated pariah " , then try to make a case for smoking.

Modifies a noun

  • status: In some quarters, of course, unmarried mothers still have pariah status over thirty years on.
  • dog: It is a medium-sized, well-balanced, square dog of the pariah dog type.
  • state: Indeed, even a pariah state would be hard pressed to come up with a worse one.
  • nation: To the tragedy of the Albanians must be added that of the Serbs whose fate is to be the pariah nation of the West.
  • type: It is a medium-sized, well-balanced, square dog of the pariah dog type.

Noun used with modifier

  • industry: It'll now join fellow former industry pariah Napster as a fully paid-up digital music distributor.

Browse dictionary entries near pariah

  1. pari-
  2. pari passu
  3. pari materia
  4. pari delicto
  5. parhelion
  6. parhelic circle
  7. parhelic
  8. parget
  9. parge
  10. parfleche
  1. Parian
  2. Paricutín
  3. paries
  4. parietal
  5. parietal cell
  6. parietal lobe
  7. parimutuel
  8. paring
  9. paripinnate
  10. Paris