pariah

4 definitions • 6 examples

a person who is not accepted by a social group, especially because they are not liked, respected, or trusted:

The scandal transformed him into a pariah.

He worried that his stammer would make him a social pariah.

Her criticisms of the life-saving treatment have made her a pariah among international health leaders.

a country or government that is not accepted by other countries, especially because it acts in a way that other countries consider to be wrong :

Under the dictatorship, the country became an international pariah.

The country faces economic sanctions and risks becoming a pariah state if it refuses to abandon its use of chemical weapons.

a word used in the past for a person who belonged to a caste (= social group) in the south of India that was considered to be one of the lowest. This word is now considered offensive.

a person who is avoided or not accepted by a social group, esp. because he or she is not liked, respected, or trusted; an outcast:

Because of its poor human rights record, the country was treated as a pariah by other nations.