poisonous
Americanadjective
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full of or containing poison.
poisonous air; a poisonous substance.
-
harmful; destructive.
poisonous to animals; poisonous rumors.
-
deeply malicious; malevolent.
poisonous efforts.
adjective
-
having the effects or qualities of a poison
-
capable of killing or inflicting injury; venomous
-
corruptive or malicious
Other Word Forms
- nonpoisonous adjective
- nonpoisonously adverb
- nonpoisonousness noun
- poisonously adverb
- poisonousness noun
- semipoisonous adjective
- semipoisonously adverb
- unpoisonous adjective
- unpoisonously adverb
Etymology
Origin of poisonous
Compare meaning
How does poisonous compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
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.
But there are dozens of other poisonous snake species for which India does not have targeted antivenom.
From BBC
In this poisonous time, those who grin at the notion of playing a Traitor may think twice about the potential cost to their principles.
From Salon
But time and again the poisonous isolation that absolute power imposes on its wielders blunted the edge of their insight and degraded the capacity of their societies.
Whether you have sympathy for him, think his behaviour is appalling, or something in between, there's clearly a poisonous row raging over what he did.
From BBC
In a typical year, the California Poison Control Center may receive up to five cases of poisonous mushroom-related illness, according to authorities.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
