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.
Weary of venomous snake bites, British authorities put a bounty on dead cobras — but this only incentivized locals to breed more of the snakes, in order to collect even more reward money.
From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026
Customs one night at JFK, an agent pulled out a stone fish, the world’s most venomous.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
Adriano, at his peak, was a phenomenal forward - skilful and powerful with a venomous strike, racking up 48 caps and 27 goals for Brazil.
From BBC ● May 5, 2026
About 8,000 people are bitten by venomous snakes annually, and only around five of the people who are bitten typically die, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 21, 2026
He was plenty scared now, with nine venomous snakes crawling around his feet.
From "Hoot" by Carl Hiaasen
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.
