1
: containing or being poisonous material especially when capable of causing death or serious debilitation
toxic waste
a toxic radioactive gas
an insecticide highly toxic to birds
2
: exhibiting symptoms of infection or toxicosis
the patient became toxic two days later
3
: extremely harsh, malicious, or harmful
toxic sarcasm
4
: relating to or being an asset that has lost so much value that it cannot be sold on the market
: a toxic substance
—usually used in plural
Synonyms
Examples of toxic in a Sentence
Adjective
The fumes from that chemical are highly toxic.
Tests will be run to determine if the landfill is toxic.
Noun
tested for toxics in the water supply
Recent Examples on the Web
Aamer Madhani, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2024
That show, which revealed the toxic work conditions behind children’s shows in the 1990s and early 2000s — specifically several Nickelodeon series — pulled off this is the best single-week performance Nielsen has ever recorded for a Max title.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 24 Apr. 2024
The wildfires in Canada awakened New Yorkers to toxic air quality levels Black and Latino residents in the South Bronx already knew well.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 24 Apr. 2024
Last June, Mayor Eric Adams faced criticism for failing to adequately warn New Yorkers about toxic air wafting in from Canadian wildfires.
—Dana Rubinstein, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2024
In toxic dynamics where previous attempts to communicate boundaries or end the relationship have been ignored or met with aggression, falling back silently might sometimes be the only way to ensure emotional safety.
—Dominique Fluker, Essence, 22 Apr. 2024
Despite these conclusions, members of the Unity Council believe that their ailments are a direct result of the seepage and ignition of toxic chemicals.
—E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 19 Apr. 2024
The attorney for Elk Grove police, Bruce Praet, argued instead that Landeros had a toxic level of methamphetamine in his system, had a history of heart trouble and died of cardiac arrest.
—Sam Stanton, Sacramento Bee, 19 Apr. 2024
Ferguson’s anecdote caused a media and online frenzy with people trying to determine which of Ferguson’s former co-stars — which include several A-list actors — was the toxic thespian.
—James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Apr. 2024
Lisa Song, ProPublica, 15 Apr. 2024
Blake is not an emasculated wimp; his confidence is complete, his suavity bordering on the toxic.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 9 Apr. 2024
The mold industry ignores all this and continues to call mold toxic.
—Kelly G. Richardson, Orange County Register, 22 Mar. 2024
Massive piles of mining waste around the rest of the 160-acre landscape enough to fill 250,000 dump trucks are contaminated with arsenic, mercury and other toxics.
—Paul Rogers, The Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2024
Such pollutants are hazardous to human health even in small doses: mercury causes brain damage in children; acid gases cause serious lung diseases; and metal toxics, such as chromium and nickel, cause cancer.
—Fred Krupp, Foreign Affairs, 13 June 2017
Ultimately, a right-to-know law like Prop 65 can only go so far in addressing toxics in products.
—Robin Dodson, Fortune Well, 2 May 2023
The journey is a familiar one for California’s toxics.
—Robert Lewis, AZCentral.com, 1 Mar. 2023
Because the whales feed near shore from the base of the food chain, even sucking up sediments and mud, their scat also could provide information about toxics in the environment, Giles said.
—Lynda Mapes, Anchorage Daily News, 28 Feb. 2020
Adjective
Biden had success finding common ground with Republicans earlier in his term to win the passage of a $1 trillion infrastructure deal, legislation to boost the U.S. semiconductor industry, and an expansion of federal health care services for veterans exposed to toxic smoke from burn pits.
—Aamer Madhani, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2024
That show, which revealed the toxic work conditions behind children’s shows in the 1990s and early 2000s — specifically several Nickelodeon series — pulled off this is the best single-week performance Nielsen has ever recorded for a Max title.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 24 Apr. 2024
The wildfires in Canada awakened New Yorkers to toxic air quality levels Black and Latino residents in the South Bronx already knew well.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 24 Apr. 2024
Last June, Mayor Eric Adams faced criticism for failing to adequately warn New Yorkers about toxic air wafting in from Canadian wildfires.
—Dana Rubinstein, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2024
In toxic dynamics where previous attempts to communicate boundaries or end the relationship have been ignored or met with aggression, falling back silently might sometimes be the only way to ensure emotional safety.
—Dominique Fluker, Essence, 22 Apr. 2024
Despite these conclusions, members of the Unity Council believe that their ailments are a direct result of the seepage and ignition of toxic chemicals.
—E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 19 Apr. 2024
The attorney for Elk Grove police, Bruce Praet, argued instead that Landeros had a toxic level of methamphetamine in his system, had a history of heart trouble and died of cardiac arrest.
—Sam Stanton, Sacramento Bee, 19 Apr. 2024
Ferguson’s anecdote caused a media and online frenzy with people trying to determine which of Ferguson’s former co-stars — which include several A-list actors — was the toxic thespian.
—James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Apr. 2024
Noun
The Calvert City facilities have been repeatedly fined for leaking air toxics since at least 2010.
—Lisa Song, ProPublica, 15 Apr. 2024
Blake is not an emasculated wimp; his confidence is complete, his suavity bordering on the toxic.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 9 Apr. 2024
The mold industry ignores all this and continues to call mold toxic.
—Kelly G. Richardson, Orange County Register, 22 Mar. 2024
Massive piles of mining waste around the rest of the 160-acre landscape enough to fill 250,000 dump trucks are contaminated with arsenic, mercury and other toxics.
—Paul Rogers, The Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2024
Such pollutants are hazardous to human health even in small doses: mercury causes brain damage in children; acid gases cause serious lung diseases; and metal toxics, such as chromium and nickel, cause cancer.
—Fred Krupp, Foreign Affairs, 13 June 2017
Ultimately, a right-to-know law like Prop 65 can only go so far in addressing toxics in products.
—Robin Dodson, Fortune Well, 2 May 2023
The journey is a familiar one for California’s toxics.
—Robert Lewis, AZCentral.com, 1 Mar. 2023
Because the whales feed near shore from the base of the food chain, even sucking up sediments and mud, their scat also could provide information about toxics in the environment, Giles said.
—Lynda Mapes, Anchorage Daily News, 28 Feb. 2020
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'toxic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to toxic
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Cite this Entry
“Toxic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/toxic. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
toxic
1 of 2 adjective
tox·ic
ˈtäk-sik 
1
: containing or being poisonous material especially when capable of causing serious injury or death
toxic drugs
toxic gas
2
: of, relating to, or caused by a poison or toxin
toxic liver damage
3
a
: affected by a poison or toxin
b
: affected with toxemia of pregnancy
toxic pregnant women
toxic
2 of 2 noun
: a toxic substance
Legal Definition
toxic
adjective
tox·ic
ˈtäk-sik
1
: containing or being poisonous material especially when capable of causing death or serious debilitation
2
: having substantially lowered worth
specifically
: relating to or being an asset that has lost so much value that it cannot be sold on the market
toxic assets
toxic subprime loans
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