venomous
/ˈvɛnəməs
/adjective
1(Of an animal, especially a snake) secreting venom; capable of injecting venom by means of a bite or sting: a leading expert on venomous snakes the box jelly is earth 's most venomous creature...
- Only about 50% of bites by exotic venomous snakes inject sufficient venom to cause clinical envenoming.
- Zookeepers in Cincinnati, Ohio helped police search the home of a woman who died after being bitten by a venomous pet snake.
- Anytime you receive a bite from a venomous snake, it's a very dangerous encounter.
Synonyms
poisonous, toxic, noxious, dangerous, harmful;
deadly, lethal, death-dealing, life-threatening, fatal, mortal, terminal, killing
literary deathly, nocuous, mephitic
archaic baneful
1.1(Of a person or their behaviour) full of malice or spite: she replied with a venomous glance...
- To those who left the new church he had established he was persistently venomous.
- When it finally did hit theaters in 2003 the critics weren't just harsh; they were venomous.
- I slowly sat up and faced my venomous brother and Will who seemed very unhappy.
Synonyms
vicious, spiteful;
rancorous, malevolent, vitriolic, vindictive, malicious, malignant, malign, poisonous, baleful, bitter, acrimonious, resentful, grudging, virulent, pernicious, antagonistic, hostile, hate-filled, menacing, nasty, evil, evil-intentioned, unfriendly, cruel, unkind, unpleasant;
acerbic, sharp, acid, tart, caustic, astringent, cutting, biting, razor-edged, waspish, wounding, barbed
informal bitchy, catty
literary malefic, maleficent
Usage
See poisonous (usage).
Derivatives
venomously
/ adverb ...- ‘Our Church doesn't support war,’ she venomously retorted.
- Brecht's words, juxtaposed against Weill's music, with its atonal harmonies and angular lines, venomously satirized the state of affairs.
- He tackles, often venomously; he passes, with accuracy; and he scores goals, crucially.
venomousness
- There's a palpable venomousness in the exchanges across and around the floor of the Chamber.
- What makes Fight For Your Life so stark is the venomousness of the racial hatred that it manages to touch upon.
- How can I possibly convey the terrible venomousness with which he uttered these words?
Origin
Middle English: from Old French venimeux, from venim (see venom).