poison

1 of 3

noun

poi·​son ˈpȯi-zᵊn How to pronounce poison (audio)
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

poison

2 of 3

verb

poisoned; poisoning ˈpȯiz-niŋ How to pronounce poison (audio)
ˈpȯi-zᵊn-iŋ

transitive verb

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 restCharles Dickens
poisoner
ˈpȯiz-nər How to pronounce poison (audio)
ˈpȯi-zᵊn-ər
noun

poison

3 of 3

adjective

1
: poisonous, venomous
a poison plant
a poison tongue
2
: impregnated with poison : poisoned
a poison arrow

Examples 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
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.
Noun
There are traces of these iconic villains in every product—from majestic packaging (such as a poison apple soap dispenser and a dragon castle candle holder) to two haunting fragrances. Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 3 Sep. 2025 Burning forests poisons the atmosphere. Suwanna Gauntlett Upjohn, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Verb
Abusers and traffickers are exploiting this lack of oversight—leaving women coerced, deceived, and sometimes poisoned. Christa Brown, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025 Beyond the broader ecological catastrophes that await us, wildfires harm people with smoke that can travel hundreds of kilometers from the source fire, poisoning people with small particles and a portfolio of toxins. Suwanna Gauntlett Upjohn, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Constant procedural upheaval and backlogs are poison. Scott White, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025 Behavior and reproduction Most frogs are nocturnal, but not poison frogs. National Geographic, 28 Feb. 2020 See All Example Sentences for poison

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French poisun drink, potion, poison, from Latin potion-, potio drink — more at potion

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of poison was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Poison.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poison. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

poison

1 of 3 noun
poi·​son ˈpȯiz-ən How to pronounce poison (audio)
1
: a substance that by its chemical action can kill or injure a living thing
2
: something destructive or harmful

poison

2 of 3 verb
poisoned; poisoning ˈpȯiz-niŋ How to pronounce poison (audio)
-ᵊn-iŋ
1
a
: to injure or kill with poison
b
: to put poison in or on
poisoned the air with its fumes
2
: to exert a harmful influence on : corrupt
poisoned their minds
poisoner
ˈpȯiz-nər How to pronounce poison (audio)
-ᵊn-ər
noun

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 How to pronounce poison (audio)
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 How to pronounce poison (audio)
1
: to injure or kill with poison
2
: to treat, taint, or impregnate with poison

poison

3 of 3 adjective
1
: poisonous
a poison plant
2
: impregnated with poison
a poison arrow

More from Merriam-Webster on poison

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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