To parry is to ward off a weapon or blow; indeed, parrying is as important to fencing as sticking one’s opponent with the pointy end. The word parry was borrowed from the French verb parer, meaning “to ward off” or “to avert,” and was first used in English in the late 17th century. PARRY definition: 1.

Understanding the Context

to defend yourself from a weapon or an attack by pushing the weapon away or by putting something…. Learn more. 1. to ward off (a sword thrust, blow, weapon, etc.).

Key Insights

2. to turn aside; dodge: to parry an embarrassing question. If you parry a question or argument, you cleverly avoid answering it or dealing with it. In an awkward press conference, Mr King parried questions on the allegations. [VERB noun] Parry definition: To deflect or ward off (a fencing thrust, for example).

Final Thoughts

parry (third-person singular simple present parries, present participle parrying, simple past and past participle parried) To avoid, deflect, or ward off (an attack, a blow, an argument, etc.). PARRY definition: to ward off (a thrust, stroke, weapon, etc.), as in fencing; avert. See examples of parry used in a sentence. Definition of parry verb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.