parlous

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.

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.]; […]

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.

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.