pernicious

adjective

per·ni·cious pər-ˈni-shəs How to pronounce pernicious (audio)

: highly injurious or destructive : deadly

archaic : wicked

perniciously adverb

perniciousness noun

Did you know?

insidious, sinister, or pernicious?

Few would choose to be associated with people or things that are insidious, sinister, or pernicious; all three of these words have decidedly unpleasant meanings, each with its own particular shade of nastiness.

Insidious comes from a Latin word for “ambush” (insidiae), which is fitting, as this word often carries the meanings “deceitful,” “stealthy,” or “harmful in an imperceptible fashion.” The first two meanings may be applied to people or things (“an insidious enemy,” “an insidious plot”), while the last is usually applied to things (“insidious problems,” “insidious sexism”), in particular to the gradual progress of a disease (“an insidious malignancy”).

Sinister comes from a Latin word meaning “on the left side, unlucky, inauspicious.” Although it is commonly used today in the sense “evil” (“a sinister cult leader”; “a sinister plot”), it may also suggest an ominous foreshadowing of some unfavorable turn of events (“a sinister omen”).

Pernicious has largely stayed true to its etymological root, the Latin noun pernicies “ruin, destruction.” Its original meaning in English, “highly injurious or destructive,” usually applies to things (“pernicious apathy,” “pernicious effects”) and medical conditions (“pernicious fever,” “pernicious anemia”). When applied to people, pernicious means “wicked.”

Example Sentences

The notion that poll data are a legitimate form of news has to be one of the most pernicious tenets of late-twentieth-century American journalism …

Barbara Ehrenreich, Nation, 20 Nov. 1995 The more it [the Papacy] took part in the temporal conflicts with consistently pernicious result, the more impotent among the monarchs it revealed itself …

Barbara W. Tuchman, The March of Folly, 1984 At its most pernicious, paper entrepreneurialism involves little more than imposing losses on others for the sake of short-term profits for the firm.

Robert B. Reich, Atlantic, March 1983 More pernicious still has been the acceptance of the author's controversial ideas by the general public. the pernicious effects of jealousy She thinks television has a pernicious influence on our children. See More

Recent Examples on the Web At a time when women, in particular, are in the workforce but earning less than their male counterparts, often while doing vital care work at the same time, this feels particularly pernicious.

Vicky Spratt, refinery29.com, 6 June 2022 Scant rainfall, gusty winds and anomalously warm temperatures during the months of April and May — following a winter with little snow — proved pernicious, helping the fires to fester and grow uncontrollably.

Jason Samenow, Washington Post, 21 June 2022 Because the pernicious effects of these substances often show themselves slowly—and are so widespread—few will be able to prove harm or secure a settlement.

Jasper Craven, The New Republic, 28 June 2021 In Milbank’s narrative, Gingrich emerges as Trump’s second-most-pernicious mentor, after Roy Cohn.

Christopher Buckley, Washington Post, 5 Aug. 2022 That smacks of McCarthyism and is especially pernicious at a sensitive political moment.

Susan Brooks, WSJ, 10 Aug. 2022 What’s pernicious is the inference that things will never get better.

Brennan Barnard, Forbes, 6 July 2022 But the 10-year budget window is again proving to have pernicious effects on how Congress spends our money.

Elizabeth Bauer, Forbes, 30 June 2022 Jan De Loecker, a professor at KU Leuven in Belgium who was a co-author of a seminal paper on the pernicious effects of rising market concentration, doubts that concentration worsens price increases across the board.

New York Times, 3 June 2022 See More

pernicious

adjective

as in harmful

causing or capable of causing harm the pernicious effects of illegal narcotics on society

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

harmful
dangerous
damaging
detrimental
adverse
bad
deleterious
poisonous
baneful
evil
injurious
hazardous
noxious
hurtful
infectious
prejudicial
wicked
baleful
mischievous
destructive
insidious
deadly
hostile
nocuous
ill
sinister
venomous
pestiferous
pestilential
pestilent
lethal
infective
unsafe
inimical
malignant
unfriendly
ominous
threatening
risky
fatal
perilous
menacing
unhealthful
unwholesome
contagious
ruinous
unhealthy
noisome
unsound
killer
imperiling
parlous
nasty
jeopardizing
imperilling

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

benign
harmless
beneficial
innocuous
anodyne
innocent
useful
inoffensive
advantageous
safe
salutary
favorable
good
remedial
propitious
healthful
curative
wholesome
salubrious
palliative
healthy
helpful
hurtless
sound
secure
benignant
nonpoisonous
nonlethal
nondestructive
nontoxic
noninfectious
nonfatal
noncorrosive
nonpolluting
nonvenomous

Synonym Chooser

Some common synonyms of pernicious are baneful, deleterious, detrimental, and noxious. While all these words mean "exceedingly harmful," pernicious implies irreparable harm done through evil or insidious corrupting or undermining.

the claim that pornography has a pernicious effect on society

The words baneful and pernicious are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, baneful implies injury through poisoning or destroying.

the baneful notion that discipline destroys creativity

While in some cases nearly identical to pernicious, deleterious applies to what has an often unsuspected harmful effect.

a diet found to have deleterious effects

The meanings of detrimental and pernicious largely overlap; however, detrimental implies obvious harmfulness to something specified.

the detrimental effects of excessive drinking

While the synonyms noxious and pernicious are close in meaning, noxious applies to what is both offensive and injurious to the health of a body or mind.

noxious chemical fumes

单词	pernicious
释义	pernicious adjective per·ni·cious pər-ˈni-shəs 1 : highly injurious or destructive : deadly 2 archaic : wicked perniciously adverb perniciousness noun Did you know? insidious, sinister, or pernicious? Few would choose to be associated with people or things that are insidious, sinister, or pernicious; all three of these words have decidedly unpleasant meanings, each with its own particular shade of nastiness. Insidious comes from a Latin word for “ambush” (insidiae), which is fitting, as this word often carries the meanings “deceitful,” “stealthy,” or “harmful in an imperceptible fashion.” The first two meanings may be applied to people or things (“an insidious enemy,” “an insidious plot”), while the last is usually applied to things (“insidious problems,” “insidious sexism”), in particular to the gradual progress of a disease (“an insidious malignancy”). Sinister comes from a Latin word meaning “on the left side, unlucky, inauspicious.” Although it is commonly used today in the sense “evil” (“a sinister cult leader”; “a sinister plot”), it may also suggest an ominous foreshadowing of some unfavorable turn of events (“a sinister omen”). Pernicious has largely stayed true to its etymological root, the Latin noun pernicies “ruin, destruction.” Its original meaning in English, “highly injurious or destructive,” usually applies to things (“pernicious apathy,” “pernicious effects”) and medical conditions (“pernicious fever,” “pernicious anemia”). When applied to people, pernicious means “wicked.” Synonyms adverse bad baleful baneful damaging dangerous deleterious detrimental evil harmful hurtful ill injurious mischievous nocuous noxious prejudicial wicked See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences The notion that poll data are a legitimate form of news has to be one of the most pernicious tenets of late-twentieth-century American journalism … Barbara Ehrenreich, Nation, 20 Nov. 1995 The more it [the Papacy] took part in the temporal conflicts with consistently pernicious result, the more impotent among the monarchs it revealed itself … Barbara W. Tuchman, The March of Folly, 1984 At its most pernicious, paper entrepreneurialism involves little more than imposing losses on others for the sake of short-term profits for the firm. Robert B. Reich, Atlantic, March 1983 More pernicious still has been the acceptance of the author's controversial ideas by the general public. the pernicious effects of jealousy She thinks television has a pernicious influence on our children. See More Recent Examples on the Web At a time when women, in particular, are in the workforce but earning less than their male counterparts, often while doing vital care work at the same time, this feels particularly pernicious. Vicky Spratt, refinery29.com, 6 June 2022 Scant rainfall, gusty winds and anomalously warm temperatures during the months of April and May — following a winter with little snow — proved pernicious, helping the fires to fester and grow uncontrollably. Jason Samenow, Washington Post, 21 June 2022 Because the pernicious effects of these substances often show themselves slowly—and are so widespread—few will be able to prove harm or secure a settlement. Jasper Craven, The New Republic, 28 June 2021 In Milbank’s narrative, Gingrich emerges as Trump’s second-most-pernicious mentor, after Roy Cohn. Christopher Buckley, Washington Post, 5 Aug. 2022 That smacks of McCarthyism and is especially pernicious at a sensitive political moment. Susan Brooks, WSJ, 10 Aug. 2022 What’s pernicious is the inference that things will never get better. Brennan Barnard, Forbes, 6 July 2022 But the 10-year budget window is again proving to have pernicious effects on how Congress spends our money. Elizabeth Bauer, Forbes, 30 June 2022 Jan De Loecker, a professor at KU Leuven in Belgium who was a co-author of a seminal paper on the pernicious effects of rising market concentration, doubts that concentration worsens price increases across the board. New York Times, 3 June 2022 See More Word History Etymology Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin perniciosus, from pernicies destruction, from per- + nec-, nex violent death — more at noxious First Known Use 15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Phrases Containing pernicious pernicious anemia pernicious anemia Kids Definition pernicious adjective per·ni·cious pər-ˈni-shəs : causing great damage or harm a pernicious disease a pernicious habit Medical Definition pernicious adjective per·ni·cious pər-ˈnish-əs : highly injurious or destructive : tending to a fatal issue : deadly pernicious disease pernicious adjective as in harmful causing or capable of causing harm the pernicious effects of illegal narcotics on society Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance harmful dangerous damaging detrimental adverse bad deleterious poisonous baneful evil injurious hazardous noxious hurtful infectious prejudicial wicked baleful mischievous destructive insidious deadly hostile nocuous ill sinister venomous pestiferous pestilential pestilent lethal infective unsafe inimical malignant unfriendly ominous threatening risky fatal perilous menacing unhealthful unwholesome contagious ruinous unhealthy noisome unsound killer imperiling parlous nasty jeopardizing imperilling Antonyms & Near Antonyms benign harmless beneficial innocuous anodyne innocent useful inoffensive advantageous safe salutary favorable good remedial propitious healthful curative wholesome salubrious palliative healthy helpful hurtless sound secure benignant nonpoisonous nonlethal nondestructive nontoxic noninfectious nonfatal noncorrosive nonpolluting nonvenomous See More Synonym Chooser Some common synonyms of pernicious are baneful, deleterious, detrimental, and noxious. While all these words mean "exceedingly harmful," pernicious implies irreparable harm done through evil or insidious corrupting or undermining. the claim that pornography has a pernicious effect on society The words baneful and pernicious are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, baneful implies injury through poisoning or destroying. the baneful notion that discipline destroys creativity While in some cases nearly identical to pernicious, deleterious applies to what has an often unsuspected harmful effect. a diet found to have deleterious effects The meanings of detrimental and pernicious largely overlap; however, detrimental implies obvious harmfulness to something specified. the detrimental effects of excessive drinking While the synonyms noxious and pernicious are close in meaning, noxious applies to what is both offensive and injurious to the health of a body or mind. noxious chemical fumes
随便看	austrianest austrianner austriannest austrians austrias Austric austringer austringers austro- Austro-Columbian austro-hungarian Austro-Malayan Austroasiatic austrocedri austrocedruses austrocedrusses Austrogaean austrogean Austronesia austronesiae Austronesian austronesians austronesias Austroriparian austrotaxi

pernicious

adjective

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Phrases Containing pernicious

Kids Definition

adjective

Medical Definition

adjective

adjective

Synonym Chooser