noxious

[nok-shuhs]

adjective

1. harmful or injurious to health or physical well-being.

   noxious fumes.

   Synonyms: deleterious, detrimental, nocuous, unhealthy, unwholesome, hurtful
   Antonyms: harmless

2. morally harmful; corrupting; pernicious.

   a noxious plan to spread dissension.

   Synonyms: corruptive
   Antonyms: harmless

noxious

/ ˈnɒkʃəs /

adjective

1. poisonous or harmful

2. harmful to the mind or morals; corrupting

Other Word Forms

• noxiously adverb
• noxiousness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of noxious¹

1605–15; < Latin noxius harmful, hurtful, injurious, equivalent to nox ( a ) harm, hurt, injury (akin to nocēre to do harm, inflict injury; innocent ) + -ius -ious

Word History and Origins

Origin of noxious¹

C17: from Latin noxius harmful, from noxa injury

Example Sentences

A study found in September that the noxious air is even turning Delhi's iconic 17th-century Red Fort black.

Read more on Barron's

The deeper reasons, however, were profoundly anti-democratic — the noxious intransigence of patriarchy and white supremacy in Western culture, which drastically narrowed the eligible land-owning class.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Residents say the noxious riot control gases released by federal agents travels through the building's ventilation.

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The activists worry the line will harm birds and that construction and maintenance crews driving through the transmission line corridor will carry in noxious weeds and invasive species.

Read more on Salon

A 76-year-old man was arrested at a nearby pub on Monday evening on suspicion of administering poison or a noxious substance with intent to injure, aggrieve or annoy and he remains in custody.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• corrupting www.thesaurus.com
• destructive 
• fetid 
• harmful 
• pernicious 
• poisonous 
• putrid 
• toxic 
• unhealthy 
• virulent