parlous

adj

1. Attended with peril; dangerous, risky.

   “The situation became parlous when the weather made resupply impossible.”

   “[B]ables and comedies are parlous fellowes to decipher, and diſcourage men (that is the point) with their wittie flowtes and learned jerkes, enough to laſh any man out of countenance.”

   “The tongue is a sharp and parlous weapon, which we are bound to keep up in the sheath, or never to draw forth but advisedly, and upon just occasion; it must ever be wielded with caution and care: to brandish it wantonly, to lay about with it blindly and furiously, to slash and smite therewith any that happeth to come in our way, doth argue malice or madness.”

   “The safest way in such a parlous doubt, / Is steady watch and keep a sharp look out.”

2. Appalling, dire, terrible.

   “in a parlous state”

   “All whiche offences and mysdemenors abovesaid have bene commytted to the grete hurte and undoyng of your orator, and the right evill and parlous example, [etc.]; […]”

   “The preſent panges and parlous thoughts, / That pearceth troubled minds: / Is knowne to none but ſuch I ſay, / That lacke of freedome finds.”

   “[Nick] Bot[tom]. There are things in this Comedy of Piramus and Thisby, that will neuer pleaſe. Firſt, Piramus muſt draw a ſword to kill himſelfe; which the Ladys cannot abide. How anſwer you that? / [Tom] Snout. Berlaken, a parlous feare.”

   “Thou haſt a parlous judgement; but let that paſſe, / She is as truly vertuous, faire, and noble, / As her great Mother's good; and that's not ordinary.”

3. (England, also, dialectal, obsolete, rare)Dangerously clever or cunning; also, remarkably good or unusual.

   “A parlous Boy: go too, you are too ſhrew'd.”

   “[O]h their parlous fellows, they will ſearch more with their wits than a Cunſtable with all his officers.”

   “This Midas knew: and durſt communicate / To none but to his wife his ears of ſtate: / One muſt be truſted, and he thought her fit, / As paſſing prudent, and a parlous wit.”

   “The Patten, Fan, and Petticoat, / Three modern Themes of ſpecial Note, / In parlous rimes immortal live, / If rimes immortal life can give; […]”

adv

1. (archaic, not-comparable)Extremely, very.

   “[L]ast week I had a distinctly unpleasant experience, and came parlous near qualifying as a beachcomber. [...] I cast round, trying one or two charming little hotels within reasonable radius, only to find the "house full" boards up everywhere.”