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View synonyms for poisonous

poisonous

[ poi-zuh-nuhs ]

adjective

  1. full of or containing poison:

    poisonous air; a poisonous substance.

  2. harmful; destructive:

    poisonous to animals; poisonous rumors.

  3. deeply malicious; malevolent:

    poisonous efforts.



poisonous

/ ˈpɔɪzənəs /

adjective

  1. having the effects or qualities of a poison
  2. capable of killing or inflicting injury; venomous
  3. corruptive or malicious


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Derived Forms

  • ˈpoisonously, adverb
  • ˈpoisonousness, noun

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Other Words From

  • poison·ous·ly adverb
  • poison·ous·ness noun
  • non·poison·ous adjective
  • non·poison·ous·ly adverb
  • non·poison·ous·ness noun
  • semi·poison·ous adjective
  • semi·poison·ous·ly adverb
  • un·poison·ous adjective
  • un·poison·ous·ly adverb

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Word History and Origins

Origin of poisonous1

First recorded in 1565–75; poison + -ous

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Compare Meanings

How does poisonous compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

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Example Sentences

This may help an arm quickly distinguish food from rocks or poisonous prey, Harvard University molecular biologist Nicholas Bellono and his colleagues report online October 29 in Cell.

Phthalo green, chrome yellow, cadmium red are lovely, but they come with a pernicious price—all are composed of heavy metals poisonous to humans in varying degrees.

For most Earthly life, phosphine is poisonous because “it interferes with oxygen metabolism in a variety of macabre ways.”

Some newts living in the western United States are poisonous.

Supertasters are literally born with a tongue that is unusually sensitive to the bitter chemicals found in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, which tricks their brain into thinking that the food is poisonous.

Alcohol and sugar, even in moderate amounts, are not only sinful but poisonous.

The stench of corruption is settling over world soccer like a poisonous fog, and players are paying the price.

They unlaced her and tried to find something poisonous in her hair, but nothing helped.

In Greek mythology, the Gorgon Medusa had the face of a woman and poisonous snakes for hair; her glance could turn men to stone.

Other organisms died off in large numbers because oxygen was poisonous to them.

The island is especially favoured; it contains no poisonous or hurtful insects or reptiles.

That is the reason that the silliest, the meanest, the most poisonous girl can always find a husband if she is healthy.

Xetholine caniopus is a drug; not rare, not common, but violently poisonous.

She might struggle for her freedom, but she could not hope to avoid the darting, poisonous fangs of the snake.

It could scarcely send its poisonous fangs through her heavy boot, she reminded herself desperately.

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