poison

a substance that by chemical action can kill or injure a living thing the only way to get rid of rats is to leave out poison Synonyms bane, toxic, toxin, venom Related Words cancer, contagion, disease, virus; fungicide, germicide, herbicide, insecticide, microbicide, pesticide, toxicant Near Antonyms antidote, antivenin, antivenom, mithridate; cure; cure-all, elixir, panacea

1 to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable poisoning the minds of impressionable children with ethnic hatred Synonyms blemish, darken, mar, taint, spoil, stain, tarnish, touch, vitiateRelated Words begrime, besmear, besmirch, blacken, blur, cloud, dirty, discolor, pollute, smear, smirch, smudge, smut, soil, sully, tar; abase, cheapen, debase, degrade, demean, discredit, disgrace, dishonor, foul, lower, shame, sink; bastardize, corrupt, debauch, demoralize, deprave, pervert, subvert; color, distort, twistNear Antonyms cleanse, purify; dignify, elevate, ennoble, enshrine, glorify, hallow, magnify, uplift

2 to make unfit for use by the addition of something harmful or undesirable exhaust fumes poisoning the air Synonyms befoul, defile, foul, contaminate, pollute, taintRelated Words infect; begrime, besmirch, blacken, dirty, foul up, grime, mire, muddy, smirch, smudge, soil, stain, sully; corrupt, rot, spoil; adulterate, doctor; dilute, water downNear Antonyms clarify, clean, cleanse, clear, distill (also distil), purge; filter; disinfect, sanitize, sterilizeAntonyms decontaminate, purify

3 to lower in character, dignity, or quality this party partisanship poisons the national debate we should be having about this urgent problem Synonyms abase, bastardize, canker, cheapen, corrupt, debauch, degrade, demean, demoralize, deprave, deteriorate, lessen, pervert, debase, profane, prostitute, subvert, vitiate, warpRelated Words befoul, begrime, contaminate, defile, dilute, dirty, pollute, taint, thin, water down, weaken; descend; disgrace, dishonor, humble, humiliate, shame, take down; blemish, damage, deface, destroy, flaw, harm, hurt, impair, mar, ruin, spoil, stain, tarnish, wreck; depreciate, downgradeNear Antonyms dignify, exalt, honor; ameliorate, amend, better, enhance, enrich, improve, meliorate, perfect; clarify, clean, cleanse, purify, refine, restore; respectAntonyms elevate, ennoble, uplift

4 to cause to have often negative opinions formed without sufficient knowledge malicious rumors had poisoned many church members against the new pastor Synonyms bias, prejudice, turnRelated Words dispose, incline, predispose; influence, prepossess; convince, persuade, suggest