Dictionary
Thesaurus
Reference
Translate
Web
Definition of pernicious - 7 dictionary results

per⋅ni⋅cious

[per-nish-uhs]
–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


per⋅ni⋅cious⋅ly, adverb
per⋅ni⋅cious⋅ness, noun


1. harmful, detrimental, deleterious, destructive, damaging, baneful, noxious, malicious. 2. lethal.
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.
  1. 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.

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.

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).

Main Entry: per·ni·cious
Pronunciation: p&r-'nish-&s
Function: adjective
: highly injurious or destructive : tending to afatal issue : DEADLY <pernicious disease>

pernicious per·ni·cious (pər-nĭsh'əs)
adj.
Tending to cause death or serious injury; deadly.

Search another word or see pernicious on Thesaurus | Reference