pariahdom · noun — the state of being a pariah or outcast. It carries an Arena rating of 1444, earned across 76 head-to-head judged battles.
Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, pariahdom ranks #3,754 of 17,168 for Scariest Words, #4,027 of 17,125 for Most Storied Words, #4,077 of 17,165 for Most Incisive Words, #4,902 of 17,188 for Funniest Words.
Why “pariahdom” is a great word
PARIAHDOM — [Noun] The state or condition of being a pariah; social ostracism or outcast status. Formed within English by derivation from 'pariah' (from Tamil பறையர் (paṟaiyar), a member of a low caste) + the suffix '-dom' (denoting a state or condition). Unlike 'ostracism', which names the active practice of exclusion, or 'exile', which implies physical banishment, pariahdom is the passive, endured realm one inhabits after the door has shut. It is the cold space widening around a person in a crowded room, the tactile memory of a hand withdrawn too quickly from a handshake, and the specific, insulating warmth of a seat no one will choose to occupy—a geography defined not by walls, but by the relentless retreat of others, a country of one.
❧ Essay by Lexicurio’s AI · definition, etymology & citations from published sources
Etymology
From pariah + -dom.
noun
- The state of being a pariah or outcast.e.g.“Glasses were filled, arresting the trooper on a theme of passion; the pariahdom of the country cop, whose self-respect is to retort the law's blackmail for blackmail levied on his self-respect.” — 1938, Norman Lindsay, Age of Consent, 1st Australian edition, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1962, →OCLC, page 162:
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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