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as in poisonous
bad for the well-being of the body mixing bleach and ammonia can cause noxious fumes that can seriously harm you

Synonyms & Similar Words

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How is the word noxious different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of noxious are baneful, deleterious, detrimental, and pernicious. While all these words mean "exceedingly harmful," noxious applies to what is both offensive and injurious to the health of a body or mind.

noxious chemical fumes

When is it sensible to use baneful instead of noxious?

The words baneful and noxious can be used in similar contexts, but baneful implies injury through poisoning or destroying.

the baneful notion that discipline destroys creativity

When would deleterious be a good substitute for noxious?

In some situations, the words deleterious and noxious are roughly equivalent. However, deleterious applies to what has an often unsuspected harmful effect.

a diet found to have deleterious effects

When could detrimental be used to replace noxious?

While the synonyms detrimental and noxious are close in meaning, detrimental implies obvious harmfulness to something specified.

the detrimental effects of excessive drinking

When might pernicious be a better fit than noxious?

The meanings of pernicious and noxious largely overlap; however, pernicious implies irreparable harm done through evil or insidious corrupting or undermining.

the claim that pornography has a pernicious effect on society

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of noxious Our endorsement was also fueled by Fine’s utterly noxious behavior. Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2025 Now, residents worry that the home air filters newly provided by San Diego County won’t be enough to curb the noxious air from the rising river. Jireh Deng, Los Angeles Times, 27 Nov. 2024 No sunlight ever penetrated its depths, and the air is a noxious brew of toxic gases. Scott Travers, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025 In the early 2000s, investigators documented a stew of noxious chemicals that remained at the factory property, among them 1,4-dioxane, which turned out to spread more widely than the other chemicals. Kevin Spear, Orlando Sentinel, 28 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for noxious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for noxious
Adjective
  • But Palpatine's genius is less about those poisonous whispers than his plot to isolate Anakin from his friends.
    Richard Edwards, Space.com, 24 Apr. 2025
  • The Big Bay Boom fireworks create a toxic fog of fine particles, poisonous aerosols and heavy metals that harm air, water and soil — posing serious risks to birds, wildlife, pets and people.
    U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • For every person who happily sets 4:00 a.m. alarms on race morning, there’s another convinced the sport is too hard, too boring, or a waste of time, if not outright harmful.
    Cindy Kuzma, SELF, 25 Apr. 2025
  • Confusing a congressional edict to end segregation with DEI policies that have no genesis in the Black Civil Rights movement to end Jim Crow is historically ignorant, disrespectful, and harmful to the urgent need to focus on resolving continuing racial inequalities in public education.
    Raymond Pierce, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The fridge was smelly and disgusting before it was replaced about a week later.
    Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 21 Apr. 2025
  • Vandalizing the State Republican Party's property with disgusting Nazi symbols while screaming about 'fascism' reveals these individuals are hypocrites, idiots, or both.
    Ewan Palmer, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Green 1 and 2: Both banned in 1965 due to a potential link to cancer. Sudan 1 and Butter Yellow: Banned in 1919 after it was found to be toxic and potentially carcinogenic.
    Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 24 Apr. 2025
  • The streets also expose them to all sorts of rodenticides, toxic plants, and chemicals, which can be fatal to felines.
    Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The most dangerous enemy of a successful business is complacency.
    Robert Balentine, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
  • Activists have criticized clearing acres of trees, said that a firing range on campus could be dangerous and that the project would change the Matthews campus’ culture for the worse.
    Ryan Oehrli, Charlotte Observer, 30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The Heat finished with an ugly 12-34 record against opponents that finished this regular season with a .500 record or better.
    Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2025
  • Brinkley in her book describes one ugly scene when Joel, deep in his cups, ate a heap of spaghetti directly from a large pan on the stove, then vehemently kicked everyone out of the house for eating his pasta.
    Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The unhealthful effects of autocracy remain robust even when accounting for economic differences and when excluding Venezuela and its collapsing health-care system.
    Thomas J. Bollyky, Foreign Affairs, 30 Jan. 2020
  • However, communities in the San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountains were still experiencing unhealthful air quality, according to the air district.
    Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2024
Adjective
  • The result is potential adverse effects on the health, cognition, and well-being of older users and missed opportunities for support.
    Diana Spehar, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
  • Sometimes this can be dangerous and cause serious adverse effects.
    Jamie Johnson, Verywell Health, 1 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Noxious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/noxious. Accessed 4 May. 2025.

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