as in poisonous
containing or contaminated with a substance capable of injuring or killing a living thing
leaving poisoned food to try to kill the roaches
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in tainted
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
poisoning the minds of impressionable children with ethnic hatred
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in polluted
to make unfit for use by the addition of something harmful or undesirable
exhaust fumes poisoning the air
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in degraded
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
this party partisanship poisons the national debate we should be having about this urgent problem
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in turned
to cause to have often negative opinions formed without sufficient knowledge
malicious rumors had poisoned many church members against the new pastor
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 poisoned
Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
Two lethal mushroom species, the death cap (Amanita phalloides) and western destroying angel (Amanita ocreata), have poisoned at least 47 people and claimed four lives since mid-November, according to the California Department of Public Health.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 13 May 2026
Health officials in Napa County are warning the public not to eat wild mushrooms after three people were poisoned.
—Tim Fang, CBS News, 13 May 2026
When hunted, poisoned, and persecuted, the coyotes scattered and regrouped, their numbers surging a hundred-fold.
—Literary Hub, 12 May 2026
The latter activity gives them some solid ground to plant their hooves on when George abruptly turns up dead one morning, poisoned by an unknown suspect.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 8 May 2026
One of us even faced an assassination plot in Canada and concluded he was poisoned in Russia for defending Iranian human rights lawyers and Russian dissidents.
—Irwin Cotler, Time, 8 May 2026
An investigation revealed they had been poisoned with Novichok, a nerve agent developed by Russia — casting suspicion on the Kremlin as the culprit.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 6 May 2026
Lesch’s close contacts with al-Assad raised suspicions among some in Syria, and Lesch was poisoned twice.
—Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2026
Verb
Despite evidence that the two got along well enough, rumors spread in Vienna after Mozart’s death that Salieri had poisoned him.
—Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
Two lethal mushroom species, the death cap (Amanita phalloides) and western destroying angel (Amanita ocreata), have poisoned at least 47 people and claimed four lives since mid-November, according to the California Department of Public Health.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 13 May 2026
Health officials in Napa County are warning the public not to eat wild mushrooms after three people were poisoned.
—Tim Fang, CBS News, 13 May 2026
When hunted, poisoned, and persecuted, the coyotes scattered and regrouped, their numbers surging a hundred-fold.
—Literary Hub, 12 May 2026
The latter activity gives them some solid ground to plant their hooves on when George abruptly turns up dead one morning, poisoned by an unknown suspect.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 8 May 2026
One of us even faced an assassination plot in Canada and concluded he was poisoned in Russia for defending Iranian human rights lawyers and Russian dissidents.
—Irwin Cotler, Time, 8 May 2026
An investigation revealed they had been poisoned with Novichok, a nerve agent developed by Russia — casting suspicion on the Kremlin as the culprit.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 6 May 2026
Lesch’s close contacts with al-Assad raised suspicions among some in Syria, and Lesch was poisoned twice.
—Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poisoned
Adjective
-
Health officials urged anybody who may have eaten a poisonous mushroom to seek medical care immediately and contact the California Poison Control Hotline.—
Gabrielle Rockson,
PEOPLE,
13 May 2026
-
Anyone who may have eaten a poisonous mushroom should seek medical care immediately and contact the California Poison Control Hotline at 800-222-1222.—
Tim Fang,
CBS News,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Murdaugh’s attorneys appealed the murder convictions, saying the trial was tainted by the county clerk’s improper comments to jurors, prejudicial evidence and failures at trial.—
Ray Sanchez,
CNN Money,
15 May 2026
-
The election beating may have been the final straw for a leader already tainted by his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as Britain’s ambassador to Washington despite the veteran politician’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Testing by the University of Georgia that alerted the industry and state in 2008, when Bost was in her teens, showed the local Conasauga River that supplies the region’s drinking water was polluted.—
DYLAN JACKSON,
ABC News,
6 May 2026
-
That is exactly what this film cleverly does — pinpoints the insidious nature of far-right movements and the creeping rhetoric that has polluted our society.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
At Vermejo Park Ranch, purchased in the mid-1990s from Pennzoil and spanning more than 870 square miles near the New Mexico-Colorado border, Turner’s team has worked to restore mountainsides and valleys degraded by overgrazing, mining and clear-cutting.—
Susan Montoya Bryan,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
-
His moves to West Ham United and Milan have badly degraded the 33-year-old’s stock.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That mugshot—with her straight dark hair, motorcycle jacket, and flat, defiant stare—would come to represent a nation, and generation, in crisis; a startling declaration that America’s own sons and daughters had turned violently against their country.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2026
-
Rather than focusing on the White House setting itself, White said his attention quickly turned toward how bugs could affect lighting, camera shots and the overall broadcast presentation during a live pay-per-view event.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
19 May 2026
Adjective
-
Power to the people is poison to the powerful.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Dropped in recent years because carbs are poison.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The bad inning spoiled an otherwise strong pitching effort by A’s starter Jeffrey Springs, whose record dipped to 3-4.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
18 May 2026
-
De Vliegende Hollander is a boat ride-meets-coaster with a few exhilarating surprises, best not spoiled by a YouTube ride-through.—
Zachary Laks,
Travel + Leisure,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Hantavirus is initially contracted by humans through inhalation of particles contaminated with the urine, feces or saliva of a rodent.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
-
An expanding recall linked to powdered milk now includes several popcorn products containing white cheddar seasoning that may be contaminated with Salmonella.—
Michele Laufik,
Martha Stewart,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Poisoned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poisoned. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
