pernicious

[per-nish-uhs]

adjective

1. causing insidious harm or ruin; ruinous; injurious; hurtful.

   pernicious teachings;

   a pernicious lie.

   Synonyms: malicious, noxious, baneful, damaging, destructive, deleterious, detrimental, harmful

2. deadly; fatal.

   a pernicious disease.

   Synonyms: lethal

3. Obsolete.,  evil; wicked.

pernicious

/ pəˈnɪʃəs /

adjective

1. wicked or malicious

   pernicious lies

2. causing grave harm; deadly

Other Word Forms

• perniciously adverb
• perniciousness noun
• unpernicious adjective
• unperniciously adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of pernicious¹

First recorded in 1515–25; from Latin perniciōsus “ruinous,” from pernici(ēs) “ruin” (from per- per- + -nici-, combining form of nex “death, murder” + -ēs, noun suffix) + -ōsus -ous

Word History and Origins

Origin of pernicious¹

C16: from Latin perniciōsus, from perniciēs ruin, from _per- (intensive) + nex death

Example Sentences

Other somewhat more didactic or exposition-heavy passages include a professor giving a brief lecture about the persistent and pernicious British class system.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

"These dangerous and historically baseless accusations echo some of the oldest and most pernicious antisemitic tropes," the Anti-Defamation League said in a statement.

Read more on BBC

Speaking outside court, Mr Hayes said the decision had been "a long time coming" after his "cruel and pernicious" sentence.

Read more on BBC

This kind of pernicious and wide-spread discrimination — packaged as ‘anti-racism’ — was allowed to flourish under the Biden Administration, but it will not be tolerated by this one,” he wrote.

Read more on Salon

“The fusion of libel suits and government officials in office is a pernicious development,” said Boutros.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• damaging 
• dangerous 
• deadly 
• destructive 
• detrimental 
• devastating 
• harmful 
• lethal 
• malicious 
• nefarious 
• noxious 
• poisonous 
• ruinous 
• toxic 
• virulent