Word: parry (verb)

Associations

"Parry" means to block or avoid an attack, especially in fighting or sports like fencing.

• In sword fighting, a player parries an opponent’s strike to protect themselves.
• In a conversation, someone might parry a difficult question by giving a clever answer.
• In sports, a goalkeeper might parry a ball to stop a goal. A close synonym is "deflect," but "parry" usually implies skillful or quick action, often in a fight or argument, while "deflect" can be more general.

Substitution

Instead of "parry," you could say:

• block – more general, just stopping something.
• deflect – changing the direction of an attack or question.
• dodge – avoiding without touching, more about moving away. Each changes the meaning slightly: "parry" suggests skill and active defense.

Deconstruction

"Parry" comes from the Old French word "parrer," meaning "to ward off or avoid." It has no prefix or suffix; it is a simple verb. The root idea is about turning aside or blocking an attack.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a time when you had to "parry" a difficult question or problem?
• How is parrying different from just avoiding something?
• How might "parry" be used in sports versus conversations?