venomous

adjective

ven·​om·​ous ˈve-nə-məs 

1

: producing venom in a specialized gland and capable of inflicting injury or death

venomous snakes

2

: full of venom: such as

a

: poisonous, envenomed

b

: noxious, pernicious

expose a venomous dope ring

—Don Porter

c

: spiteful, malevolent

venomous criticism

venomously adverb

venomousness noun

Synonyms

• envenomed
• poison
• poisoned
• poisonous
• toxic

Examples of venomous in a Sentence

The cobra is a venomous snake.

a venomous attack on his character

Recent Examples on the Web

The presence of another scorpionfish along the Australian coast is noteworthy because of their venomous nature. —Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 14 May 2025

Chavis told the hard-hitting yet undersized safety to embrace the ethos of a honey badger, which fearlessly takes on venomous cobras and swaths of bees without fear of repercussion. —Christopher Kamrani, New York Times, 14 May 2025

Experts Say These Will Be the Worst Pests in Your Region This Year How to Spot Asian Needle Ants The Asian needle ant is a venomous insect, and it's made a home in the U.S. since as far back as 1932. —Lauren Thomann, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 May 2025

Millions of people are bitten by venomous snakes every year, according to the WHO, and between 81,000 and 138,000 of those bites prove fatal. —Lillian Ali, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English venimous, borrowed from Anglo-French venimus, venimous, from venim venom entry 1 + -us, -ous -ous

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

venomous

adjective

ven·​om·​ous ˈven-ə-məs 

: having or producing venom

venomous snakes

venomously adverb

Medical Definition

venomous

adjective

ven·​om·​ous ˈven-ə-məs 

1

: poisonous

2

: producing venom in a specialized gland and capable of inflicting injury or death

the vipers, pit vipers, and coral snakes are venomous