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
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Recent Examples of poisonous
No gardener actively tries to choose poisonous plants, but those that closely resemble safer plants are harder to avoid.
—
Melissa Epifano, The Spruce, 16 Feb. 2026
Gone, however, are the thorny emotions of Brontë, replaced by something far more poisonous.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2026
To attend an Old Firm fixture, as the rivalry is known, is to understand the frenetic, vitriolic, passionate and sometimes poisonous world of football in Glasgow.
—The Athletic Staff, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2026
For me, this film is part of that trilogy, of men who are really poisonous, but also very, very normal.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for poisonous
Melissa Epifano, The Spruce, 16 Feb. 2026
Gone, however, are the thorny emotions of Brontë, replaced by something far more poisonous.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2026
To attend an Old Firm fixture, as the rivalry is known, is to understand the frenetic, vitriolic, passionate and sometimes poisonous world of football in Glasgow.
—The Athletic Staff, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2026
For me, this film is part of that trilogy, of men who are really poisonous, but also very, very normal.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for poisonous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poisonous
Adjective
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Power to the people is poison to the powerful.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
10 Feb. 2026
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Dropped in recent years because carbs are poison.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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From invasive species to blooms with toxic compounds, these are the six perennial flowers our gardening experts warn against.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
7 Mar. 2026
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There’s good that can come from that — the engagement, the creativity — but some bad too, like when things get toxic.—
Yvonne Villarreal,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Nike executive Gentry Humphrey, who’s currently the vice president of Jordan footwear, likened the look to that of a snake — specifically the highly venomous black mamba.—
Riley Jones,
Footwear News,
25 Feb. 2026
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Except every Eden contains a serpent, and this one’s viper is particularly venomous.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Poisonous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poisonous. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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