noxious

adjective

nox·ious | \ˈnäk-shəs

Definition of noxious

1a : physically harmful or destructive to living beings noxious waste noxious fumes

b : constituting a harmful influence on mind or behavior especially : morally corrupting noxious doctrines

2 : disagreeable, obnoxious this noxious political scandal— H. L. Ickes

Other Words from noxious Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about noxious

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Choose the Right Synonym for noxious

pernicious, baneful, noxious, deleterious, detrimental 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 baneful implies injury through poisoning or destroying. the baneful notion that discipline destroys creativity noxious applies to what is both offensive and injurious to the health of a body or mind. noxious chemical fumes deleterious applies to what has an often unsuspected harmful effect. a diet found to have deleterious effects detrimental implies obvious harmfulness to something specified. the detrimental effects of excessive drinking

Examples of noxious in a Sentence

mixing bleach and ammonia can cause noxious fumes that can seriously harm you noxious smog that for years has been encrusting the historic cathedral with soot

Recent Examples on the Web

The heavy rain expected from Hurricane Florence could flood hog manure pits, coal ash dumps and other industrial sites in North Carolina, creating a noxious witches’ brew of waste that might wash into homes and threaten drinking water supplies. — Michael Biesecker, Fox News, "Hurricane could flood many waste sites, creating toxic brew," 12 Sep. 2018 The heavy rain expected from Hurricane Florence could flood hog manure pits, coal ash dumps and other industrial sites in North Carolina, creating a noxious witches’ brew of waste that might wash into homes and threaten drinking water supplies. — Michael Biesecker, The Seattle Times, "Hurricane could flood many waste sites, creating toxic brew," 11 Sep. 2018 The real trouble began in January 2016, when Twitter removed the badge from the profile of noxious right-wing personality Milo Yiannopoulos. — Casey Newton, The Verge, "Instagram’s verification system is useful, fair, and Twitter should copy it," 29 Aug. 2018 Growing as both a shrub and a vine, the innocuous-looking flora produces a noxious sap responsible for the reaction, called allergic contact dermatitis. — Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, "How to Get Rid of a Poison Ivy Rash and Stop Itching Like Crazy," 13 July 2018 Walking to a store in March, Olga Yevseyeva was hit by the familiar, noxious stench of rotten eggs wafting from the town landfill a few miles away. — Washington Post, "A big stink erupts over landfills ringing Russia’s capital," 19 June 2018 When this happens, water boils away, and the resulting reactions produce a noxious plume of steam, hydrochloric acid, and shards of volcanic glass. — Maya Wei-haas, Smithsonian, "A Brief Glossary of Volcano Vocab," 25 May 2018 Slightly less noxious but vastly more pervasive, the smell of the brown marmorated stinkbug is often likened to that of cilantro, chiefly because the same chemical is present in both. — Steven Strogatz, The New Yorker, "When Twenty-Six Thousand Stinkbugs Invade Your Home," 8 Aug. 2011 Nuisance laws had targeted problems like noxious odors or chemical spills that crept across property lines. — Emily Badger, New York Times, "How ‘Not in My Backyard’ Became ‘Not in My Neighborhood’," 3 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'noxious.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.