- Definition
- Definition
-
Did you know?
- Synonyms
- Synonym Chooser
- Example Sentences
- Word History
- Phrases Containing
- Related Articles
- Entries Near
-
- To save this word, you'll need to log in.
Did you know?
insidious, sinister, or pernicious?
Few would choose to be associated with people or things that are insidious, sinister, or pernicious; all three of these words have decidedly unpleasant meanings, each with its own particular shade of nastiness.
Insidious comes from a Latin word for “ambush” (insidiae), which is fitting, as this word often carries the meanings “deceitful,” “stealthy,” or “harmful in an imperceptible fashion.” The first two meanings may be applied to people or things (“an insidious enemy,” “an insidious plot”), while the last is usually applied to things (“insidious problems,” “insidious sexism”), in particular to the gradual progress of a disease (“an insidious malignancy”).
Sinister comes from a Latin word meaning “on the left side, unlucky, inauspicious.” Although it is commonly used today in the sense “evil” (“a sinister cult leader”; “a sinister plot”), it may also suggest an ominous foreshadowing of some unfavorable turn of events (“a sinister omen”).
Pernicious has largely stayed true to its etymological root, the Latin noun pernicies “ruin, destruction.” Its original meaning in English, “highly injurious or destructive,” usually applies to things (“pernicious apathy,” “pernicious effects”) and medical conditions (“pernicious fever,” “pernicious anemia”). When applied to people, pernicious means “wicked.”
Synonyms
pernicious, baneful, noxious, deleterious, detrimental mean exceedingly harmful.
pernicious implies irreparable harm done through evil or insidious corrupting or undermining.
baneful implies injury through poisoning or destroying.
noxious applies to what is both offensive and injurious to the health of a body or mind.
deleterious applies to what has an often unsuspected harmful effect.
detrimental implies obvious harmfulness to something specified.
Examples of pernicious in a Sentence
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pernicious.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Phrases Containing pernicious
Articles Related to pernicious
Dictionary Entries Near pernicious
Cite this Entry
“Pernicious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pernicious. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024.
Kids Definition
pernicious
adjectiveMedical Definition
pernicious
adjectiveMore from Merriam-Webster on pernicious
Nglish: Translation of pernicious for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of pernicious for Arabic Speakers
Share