1
a
: a substance that through its chemical action usually kills, injures, or impairs an organism
b(1)
: something destructive or harmful
(2)
: an object of aversion or abhorrence
2
: a substance that inhibits the activity of another substance or the course of a reaction or process
a catalyst poison
poisoned; poisoning
ˈpȯiz-niŋ 
ˈpȯi-zᵊn-iŋ
1
a
: to injure or kill with poison
b
: to treat, taint, or impregnate with or as if with poison
2
: to exert a baneful influence on : corrupt
poisoned their minds
3
: to inhibit the activity, course, or occurrence of
on the night when he poisoned my rest—
Charles Dickens
Charles DickensExamples of poison in a Sentence
Noun
a jar of rat poison
The killer gave her victims food laced with poison.
suck poison from a snake bite
The villain in the play dies by drinking a vial of poison.
Poverty is a poison to society.
Verb
How did the murderer poison the victim?
Hundreds were poisoned from drinking the contaminated water.
He was poisoned with cyanide.
The factory poisoned the air with its fumes.
Illegal dumping of waste is poisoning the stream and killing fish.
He poisoned their minds with hatred for her.
His angry outburst poisoned the atmosphere of the party.
Adjective
the witch gave Snow White a poison apple
Recent Examples on the Web
Julie Gallant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Apr. 2025
Dolphins also suffer from the effects of the poison but tend to get stranded on the beaches and almost always die.
—Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2025
Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2025
Morgan was previously married to Keith Whitley from 1986 to his alcohol poisoning death in 1989 at age 34.
—Rachel Desantis, People.com, 17 Apr. 2025
National Geographic, 28 Feb. 2020
Some farmers even intentionally poison cranes to stop them from foraging in their crops.
—National Geographic, 10 Feb. 2020
See All Example Sentences for poison
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Noun
Quint advocated for natural solutions to rodent abatement such as mint balls and peppermint oils instead of rat poison.
—Julie Gallant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Apr. 2025
Dolphins also suffer from the effects of the poison but tend to get stranded on the beaches and almost always die.
—Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2025
Verb
Scores of sea lions and dolphins have been fatally poisoned in recent months by domoic acid, a neurotoxin produced by harmful algal blooms.
—Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2025
Morgan was previously married to Keith Whitley from 1986 to his alcohol poisoning death in 1989 at age 34.
—Rachel Desantis, People.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
Behavior and reproduction Most frogs are nocturnal, but not poison frogs.
—National Geographic, 28 Feb. 2020
Some farmers even intentionally poison cranes to stop them from foraging in their crops.
—National Geographic, 10 Feb. 2020
See All Example Sentences for poison
Cite this Entry
“Poison.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poison. Accessed 7 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
poison
1 of 3 noun
poi·son
ˈpȯiz-ən
1
: a substance that by its chemical action can kill or injure a living thing
2
: something destructive or harmful
poison
3 of 3 adjective
: poisonous
a poison plant
Etymology
Noun
Middle English poison "poison, a poisonous drink," from early French poison "drink, potion, poison," from Latin potion-, potio "a drink, potion" — related to potion
Medical Definition
poison
1 of 3 noun
poi·son
ˈpȯiz-ᵊn
1
: a substance that through its chemical action usually kills, injures, or impairs an organism
2
: a substance that inhibits the activity of another substance or the course of a reaction or process
a catalyst poison
poison
2 of 3 transitive verb
poisoned; poisoning
ˈpȯiz-niŋ, -ᵊn-iŋ
1
: to injure or kill with poison
2
: to treat, taint, or impregnate with poison
poison
3 of 3 adjective1
: poisonous
a poison plant
2
: impregnated with poison
a poison arrow
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