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Definition of pernicious - 7 dictionary results

per⋅ni⋅cious

  [per-nish-uhs]
Use pernicious in a Sentence
–adjective
1. causing insidious harm or ruin; ruinous; injurious; hurtful: pernicious teachings; a pernicious lie.
2. deadly; fatal: a pernicious disease.
3. Obsolete. evil; wicked.
Origin:
1515–25; < L perniciōsus ruinous, equiv. to pernici(ēs) ruin (per- per- + -nici-, comb. form of nex death, murder (s. nec-) + -iēs n. suffix) + -ōsus -ous

Related forms:
per⋅ni⋅cious⋅ly, adverb
per⋅ni⋅cious⋅ness, noun

Synonyms:
1. harmful, detrimental, deleterious, destructive, damaging, baneful, noxious, malicious. 2. lethal.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To pernicious
per·ni·cious   (pər-nĭsh'əs)   
adj.  
    1. Tending to cause death or serious injury; deadly: a pernicious virus.
    2. Causing great harm; destructive: pernicious rumors.
  2. Archaic Evil; wicked.

[Middle English, from Old French pernicios, from Latin perniciōsus, from perniciēs, destruction : per-, per- + nex, nec-, violent death; see nek-1 in Indo-European roots.]
per·ni'cious·ly adv., per·ni'cious·ness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Pernicious

Per*ni"cious\, a. [L. pernix, -icis.] Quick; swift (to burn). [R.] --Milton.

Pernicious

Per*ni"cious\, a. [L. perniciosus, from pernicies destruction, from pernecare to kill or slay outright; per + necare to kill, slay: cf. F. pernicieux. Cf. Nuisance, Necromancy.] Having the quality of injuring or killing; destructive; very mischievous; baleful; malicious; wicked.

Let this pernicious hour Stand aye accursed in the calendar. --Shak.

Pernicious to his health. --Prescott.

Syn: Destructive; ruinous; deadly; noxious; injurious; baneful; deleterious; hurtful; mischievous. -- Per*ni"cious*ly, adv., -- Per*ni"cious*ness, n.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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pernicious 
1521, from M.Fr. pernicios (13c., Fr. pernicieux), from L. perniciosus "destructive," from pernicies "destruction, death, ruin," from per- "completely" + necis "violent death, murder," related to necare "to kill," nocere "to hurt, injure, harm," noxa "harm, injury" (see noxious).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Main Entry: per·ni·cious
Pronunciation: p&r-'nish-&s
Function: adjective
: highly injurious or destructive : tending to afatal issue : DEADLY <pernicious disease>
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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pernicious per·ni·cious (pər-nĭsh'əs)
adj.
Tending to cause death or serious injury; deadly.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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