Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of pernicious are baneful, deleterious, detrimental, and noxious. While all these words mean "exceedingly harmful," pernicious implies irreparable harm done through evil or insidious corrupting or undermining.

the claim that pornography has a pernicious effect on society

When is baneful a more appropriate choice than pernicious?

The words baneful and pernicious are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, baneful implies injury through poisoning or destroying.

the baneful notion that discipline destroys creativity

When could deleterious be used to replace pernicious?

While in some cases nearly identical to pernicious, deleterious applies to what has an often unsuspected harmful effect.

a diet found to have deleterious effects

In what contexts can detrimental take the place of pernicious?

The meanings of detrimental and pernicious largely overlap; however, detrimental implies obvious harmfulness to something specified.

the detrimental effects of excessive drinking

When is it sensible to use noxious instead of pernicious?

While the synonyms noxious and pernicious are close in meaning, noxious applies to what is both offensive and injurious to the health of a body or mind.

noxious chemical fumes

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 pernicious On the surface, dietary advice to eat more vegetables hardly seems pernicious. Rachel Hope Cleves / Made By History, TIME, 14 Feb. 2025 Eggs have become vivid symbols of Americans’ frustration over the pernicious inflation of recent years. Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 12 Feb. 2025 One example was that the law capped the pernicious state and local tax deduction at $10,000. The Editors, National Review, 10 Feb. 2025 The pernicious effects of bias also play out in the workplace—with negative consequences for individuals and organizations. Iris Bohnet, Big Think, 28 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pernicious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pernicious
Adjective
  • Lights without these certifications may generate harmful byproducts, Taylor notes.
    Matt Fuchs, Time, 12 June 2025
  • McFarland is facing charges of solicitation of a minor, transmission of harmful material to a minor and violation of probation.
    Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 12 June 2025
Adjective
  • At times, the Algerian even operated as a wide forward as O’Neil grappled with a forward injury crisis and identified Ait-Nouri as his most dangerous attacking threat.
    Steve Madeley, New York Times, 6 June 2025
  • Furthermore, is a reliance on new safety and driver assistance features potentially dangerous? Ford recall extends to over one million vehicles due to rearview camera issue Why are over a million Ford models included in NHTSA's recent recall notices?
    Charles Singh, USA Today, 5 June 2025
Adjective
  • Of course, not getting The Notebook was far from detrimental, as Witherspoon became a leading romantic comedy actress and starred in Legally Blonde, Sweet Home Alabama, Vanity Fair, Walk the Line and Just Like Heaven — all from 2001 to 2005.
    Caroline Blair, People.com, 1 June 2025
  • This change is especially detrimental to the daughter’s character, forcing Łubik to spend most of her performance hysterically responding to her mother’s actions.
    Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 27 May 2025
Adjective
  • More than 50 million people from Mississippi to western New York are under a slight risk Monday of receiving damaging wind, large-sized hail, flash flooding and a few tornadoes.
    Kenton Gewecke, ABC News, 9 June 2025
  • Similarly, the recent court decisions do not change our view that the most economically damaging tariff possibilities have become less likely.
    Jeffrey Schulze, Forbes.com, 9 June 2025
Adjective
  • The consequences are both deeply personal and widely systemic: Women are more likely to be misdiagnosed, experience adverse drug reactions, and face delays in care.
    Geri Stengel, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
  • Mifepristone is currently part of that program, though a wealth of research has shown that less than 0.5% of women who take it have serious adverse reactions.
    Aria Bendix, NBC news, 5 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Pernicious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pernicious. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.

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