pariah

7 synonyms and 2 antonyms for pariah, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — A person, group or country that everyone else rejects and refuses to associate with.

Synonyms

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

reject

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

outcast untouchable leper persona non grata castaway Ishmael

Antonyms

favourite insider

How to use pariah

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

social pariah pariah state become a pariah treated as a pariah

Neutral to formal in modern English, common in journalism ('pariah state'). The original caste sense is now historical and treated as offensive if applied to people today.

Etymology

From Tamil paṛaiyar, plural of paṛaiyan, literally 'drummer', the name of a low-caste group whose hereditary duty included beating the ceremonial drum (paṛai). Entered English through Portuguese and Anglo-Indian usage.

Full origin of pariah →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a pariah and an outcast?

They overlap heavily, but outcast simply means someone cast out of a group, while pariah carries a stronger sense of active shunning and disgust from everyone around them. A pariah is usually rejected because of something they did or represent; an outcast may simply not belong.

What is a pariah state?

A pariah state is a country that most other governments refuse to trade with, recognise or deal with diplomatically, usually because of its human rights record, aggression or weapons programme. The label is political rather than legal.

Is pariah an offensive word?

Used figuratively of a shunned person or country it is standard English and not offensive. Applying it to real people on the basis of caste is offensive, since it revives a discriminatory label.

People also searched

favourite reject insider outcast persona non grata castaway Ishmael leper untouchable

Nearby words

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