English Explanatory Dictionary

pernicious

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Causing much harm in a subtle way.
  2. Causing death or injury; deadly.
  3. Insidiously villainous: intending to cause harm, especially in a subtle way.
adj
  1. swift; celeritous.

Pronunciation

/pəˈnɪʃəs/ /pɚˈnɪʃəs/ en-us-pernicious.ogg

Word forms

pernicious more pernicious most pernicious

Etymology

From Middle English, from Old French pernicios, from Latin perniciōsus (“destructive”), from perniciēs (“destruction”), from per (“through”) + nex (“slaughter, death”).

Synonyms

deleterious venom attery

Related words

pernicity

Derived words

antipernicious pernicious anemia perniciously perniciousness pernicious scale
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