as in poisoned
containing or contaminated with a substance capable of injuring or killing a living thing
some evil person was leaving out poisonous meat for neighborhood dogs to eat
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of poisonous
However, new evidence indicates that exposure to the poisonous element is not necessarily a new issue.
—
Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 15 Oct. 2025
The result has been a series of poisonous IMF prescriptions.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2025
Mothballs are poisonous and represent a significant danger to the family dog, especially those that tend to eat first and ask questions later.
—Paul Cappiello, Louisville Courier Journal, 10 Oct. 2025
Horse chestnuts are poisonous and not edible.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for poisonous
Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 15 Oct. 2025
The result has been a series of poisonous IMF prescriptions.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2025
Mothballs are poisonous and represent a significant danger to the family dog, especially those that tend to eat first and ask questions later.
—Paul Cappiello, Louisville Courier Journal, 10 Oct. 2025
Horse chestnuts are poisonous and not edible.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for poisonous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poisonous
Adjective
-
Michelle spins a long and complicated tale, but insists Teddy was wrong about the Andromedans trying to infiltrate and poison humanity.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Constant procedural upheaval and backlogs are poison.—
Scott White,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
However, deteriorating or disturbed lead paint — through sanding or stripping — can create toxic dust that poses serious health hazards, particularly to children.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
-
After a dismal end to Vitor Pereira’s reign, complete with fury from fans towards him, the board and his players, the atmosphere around Wolves is already toxic.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, there are 44 species of native snakes in Florida, but just six are venomous.—
Latoya Gayle,
PEOPLE,
2 Nov. 2025
-
Over 300,000 venomous snakebites are reported every year in sub-Saharan Africa, frequently resulting in over 7,000 deaths and as many as 14,000 limb amputations.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Poisonous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poisonous. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share