venomous
Americanadjective
-
(of an animal) having a gland or glands for secreting venom; able to inflict a poisoned bite, sting, or wound.
a venomous snake.
-
full of or containing venom; poisonous.
a venomous wound; a venomous potion.
-
spiteful; malignant.
a venomous attack; a venomous tongue.
- Synonyms:
- ill-disposed, rancorous, hostile, malicious
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of venomous
1250–1300; Middle English venim ( o ) us < Anglo-French venimus ( Old French venimeux ). See venom, -ous
Compare meaning
How does venomous compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
An animal that is venomous produces poison. Also, people act in a venomous way when they are cruel, evil, or deliberately harmful. Both senses of venomous have to do with poison. The first meaning is literal: if a venomous snake bites you, you could die. Venomous animals are extremely dangerous, and their bite requires immediate medical attention. For people, being venomous is a little different. Spreading lies is venomous. Stealing someone's significant other is venomous. Anytime someone is being destructive on purpose, it's venomous. For people, venomous means something close to villainous — being venomous is like spreading metaphorical poison.
Vocabulary lists containing venomous
A Thousand Splendid Suns
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Unit 4: Powerful Openings
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"The Diary of a Young Girl," Vocabulary from the diary
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Venomous snakes bite about 5,000 people a year in Colombia; between 20 and 40 of those bitten die from their injuries.
From Scientific American • Sep. 23, 2023
Venomous was pretty much the default tone for anything the paper’s publisher, Gen. Harrison Gray Otis, didn’t happen to like.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 25, 2022
Venomous, beautiful lionfish, native to the Pacific and Indian oceans, are wreaking havoc on Caribbean reef habitats.
From New York Times • Jun. 6, 2022
Old book title: “The Thanatophidia of India. Being a description of the Venomous Snakes of the Indian Peninsula.”
From Washington Post • Jul. 15, 2021
Other satires of the year, are Double Bass, and A Venomous Viper Poisoning the R—l Mind, the latter as coarsely and indelicately handled a subject as any caricaturist of the old school might possibly desire.
From English Caricaturists and Graphic Humourists of the Nineteenth Century. How they Illustrated and Interpreted their Times. by Everitt, Graham
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
