adj · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/ˈpɔɪzənəs/
/ˈpɔɪznəs/
Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɔɪzənəs
rhymes with -ɔɪznəs
CMU ARPABET:P OY1 Z AH0 N AH0 S
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Containing sufficient poison to be dangerous to touch or ingest.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
While highly poisonous to dogs, this substance is completely harmless if ingested by humans.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: poisoned, toxic, venomous, attery
Antonyms: nonpoisonous, unpoisonous
2
adj
Meaning 2
Of an animal such as a snake or spider, or parts of its body: producing a toxin intended for defensive or offensive use which is usually injected into an enemy or prey by biting or stinging; hence, of a bite or sting: injecting poison.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: proscribed, sometimes
Examples
Poisonous snakes should only be handled by experienced professionals.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Negative, harmful.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: toxic
Antonyms: none provided
4
adjective satellite
Meaning 4
marked by deep ill will; deliberately harmful
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
poisonous hate
venomous criticism
vicious gossip
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: venomous, vicious
Antonyms: none provided
5
adjective satellite
Meaning 5
not safe to eat
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
adjective satellite
Meaning 6
having the qualities or effects of a poison
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: toxicant
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From Middle English poisounous, poysonouse. By surface analysis, poison + -ous.
Across languages
Translations
93 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Northern Altai:
оолыг
(oolïg)
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Northern Altai:
корондуг
(korondug)
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Southern Altai:
коронду
(korondu)
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Southern Altai:
уулу
(uulu)
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Arabic:
سَامّ
(sāmm)
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Armenian:
թունավոր
(tʻunavor)
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Aromanian:
nfãrmãcos
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Aromanian:
fãrmãchiros
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Aromanian:
toapsec
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Asturian:
venenosu
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Azerbaijani:
zəhərli
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Belarusian:
ядаві́ты
(jadavíty)
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Belarusian:
атру́тны
(atrútny)
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Bulgarian:
отро́вен
(otróven)
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Catalan:
verinós
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Catalan:
tòxic
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Chinese Mandarin:
有毒的
(yǒudú de)
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Czech:
jedovatý
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Danish:
giftig
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Dutch:
giftig
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Esperanto:
venena
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Esperanto:
veneniga
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Finnish:
myrkyllinen
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
French:
vénéneux
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
French:
toxique
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Friulian:
velenôs
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Friulian:
tossic
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Galician:
velenoso
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
German:
giftig
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Greek:
δηλητηριώδης
(dilitiriódis)
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Hindi:
विषाक्त
(viṣākt)
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Hindi:
ज़हरीला
(zahrīlā)
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Hungarian:
mérges
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Hungarian:
mérgező
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Icelandic:
eitraður
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Ido:
venenoza
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Indonesian:
beracun
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Irish:
nimhiúil
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Italian:
velenifero
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Italian:
velenoso
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Italian:
tossico
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Kazakh:
улы
(uly)
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Latin:
venēnōsus
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Latin:
venēnifer
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Latin:
toxicus
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Latvian:
indīgs
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Luxembourgish:
gëfteg
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Macedonian:
отровен
(otroven)
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Manx:
pyshoonagh
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Manx:
nieuagh
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Eastern Mari:
аяр
(ajar)
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Neapolitan:
'ntussecoso
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Norwegian Bokmål:
giftig
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Norwegian Bokmål:
skadelig
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Occitan:
verinós
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Old English:
ǣtren
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Old English:
ǣtriġ
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Polish:
trujący
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Portuguese:
tóxico
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Portuguese:
venenoso
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Punjabi:
ਵਿਸੂਲ਼ਾ
(visūḷā)
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Romanian:
otrăvitor
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Romanian:
veninos
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Russian:
ядови́тый
(jadovítyj)
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Russian:
токси́чный
(toksíčnyj)
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Sanskrit:
विष
(viṣa)
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Scottish Gaelic:
puinnseanta
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Serbo-Croatian:
о̀тро̄ван
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Serbo-Croatian:
òtrōvan
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Slovak:
jedovatý
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Slovene:
strupen
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Spanish:
ponzoñoso
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Tagalog:
nakalalason
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Telugu:
విషపూరిత
(viṣapūrita)
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Tocharian B:
wsetstse
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Turkish:
zehirli
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Ottoman Turkish:
مسموم
(mesmum)
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Ukrainian:
отру́йний
(otrújnyj)
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Venetan:
vełenoxo
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Venetan:
tosegoxo
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Venetan:
tosego
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Volapük:
venenik
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Welsh:
gwenwynig
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Yiddish:
סמיק
(samik)
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous
Yiddish:
גיפֿטיק
(giftik)
— containing sufficient poison to be dangerous