pariah
puh-RY-uh/pəˈɹaɪə/
Pluralpariahs
- 1Someone or something, such as a person or country, that others dislike and refuse to accept or deal with.
After he cheated his friends, he became a pariah at school.
Her family treated her like a pariah for marrying someone they didn't like.
UsageSay a pariah in a group, or a pariah state.
Similaroutcast, leper, untouchable
Note
Less common meaning
- 2Short for pariah dog. Used for a stray or half-wild dog in India.
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Origin
From a Tamil or Malayalam word for the drummers who announced the king's notices, a group placed low in the caste system.
Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 4 facts
- Pariah comes from a Tamil or Malayalam designation for drummers. en.wikisource.org
- The drummers announced royal notices. en.wikipedia.org
- The community was ranked low in the caste system. en.wikisource.org
- Sanskrit para can mean an outsider or stranger. en.wiktionary.org