adj · 5 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
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK:/ˈtɒk.sɪk/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
cot-caught-merger:/ˈtɑk.sɪk/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɒksɪk
CMU ARPABET:T AA1 K S IH0 K
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Having a chemical nature that is harmful to health or lethal if consumed or otherwise entering into the body in sufficient quantities.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Appearing grossly unwell; characterised by serious, potentially life-threatening compromise in the respiratory, circulatory or other body systems.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: medicine, sciences
Examples
The child appeared toxic on arrival at the hospital.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Severely negative or harmful.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
Examples
a toxic environment that promoted bullying
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adj
Meaning 4
Of a person, hateful or strongly antipathetic.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
Examples
It is not good to be around toxic people.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
adjective
Meaning 5
of or relating to or caused by a toxin or poison
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
suffering from exposure to toxic substances
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: nontoxic
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Ancient Greek τόξον (tóxon) Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Hellenic *-kos Ancient Greek -κός (-kós) Ancient Greek -ῐκός (-ĭkós) Ancient Greek τοξῐκός (toxĭkós) Ancient Greek τοξικόν (toxikón)der. Latin toxicum Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Italic *-kos Latin -cus Latin toxicusbor. French toxiquebor. English toxic Borrowed from French toxique, from Late Latin toxicus (“poisoned”), from Latin toxicum (“poison”), from Ancient Greek τοξικόν (toxikón) [φάρμακον (phármakon)] ("poison for use on arrows"), from τοξικός (toxikós, “pertaining to arrows or archery”), from τόξον (tóxon, “bow”).
Across languages
Translations
92 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
سَامّ
(sāmm)
— having a harmful chemical nature
Armenian:
թունավոր
(tʻunavor)
— having a harmful chemical nature
Asturian:
tóxicu
— having a harmful chemical nature
Breton:
pistrius
— having a harmful chemical nature
Bulgarian:
токсичен
(toksičen)
— having a harmful chemical nature
Catalan:
tòxic
— having a harmful chemical nature
Catalan:
verinós
— having a harmful chemical nature
Chinese Mandarin:
有毒的
(yǒudú de)
— having a harmful chemical nature
Czech:
otravný
— having a harmful chemical nature
Czech:
toxický
— having a harmful chemical nature
Danish:
giftig
— having a harmful chemical nature
Danish:
toksisk
— having a harmful chemical nature
Dutch:
giftig
— having a harmful chemical nature
Dutch:
toxisch
— having a harmful chemical nature
Esperanto:
toksa
— having a harmful chemical nature
Estonian:
mürgine
— having a harmful chemical nature
Estonian:
toksiline
— having a harmful chemical nature
Finnish:
myrkyllinen
— having a harmful chemical nature
Finnish:
toksinen
— having a harmful chemical nature
French:
toxique
— having a harmful chemical nature
Galician:
tóxico
— having a harmful chemical nature
Georgian:
ტოქსიკური
(ṭoksiḳuri)
— having a harmful chemical nature
German:
giftig
— having a harmful chemical nature
German:
toxisch
— having a harmful chemical nature
German:
gesundheitsschädlich
— having a harmful chemical nature
Greek:
τοξικός
(toxikós)
— having a harmful chemical nature
Greek:
δηλητηριώδης
(dilitiriódis)
— having a harmful chemical nature
Hebrew:
רעיל
(rayil)
— having a harmful chemical nature
Hindi:
विषाक्त
(viṣākt)
— having a harmful chemical nature
Hungarian:
mérgező
— having a harmful chemical nature
Ido:
toxika
— having a harmful chemical nature
Irish:
nimhiúil
— having a harmful chemical nature
Irish:
tocsaineach
— having a harmful chemical nature
Italian:
tossico
— having a harmful chemical nature
Japanese:
毒性
(dokusei)
— having a harmful chemical nature
Kazakh:
улағыш
(ulağyş)
— having a harmful chemical nature
Khmer:
ពុល
(pul)
— having a harmful chemical nature
Korean:
유독 한
(yudok han)
— having a harmful chemical nature
Latin:
toxicus
— having a harmful chemical nature
Latvian:
indīgs
— having a harmful chemical nature
Latvian:
toksisks
— having a harmful chemical nature
Lithuanian:
toksiškas
— having a harmful chemical nature
Luxembourgish:
gëfteg
— having a harmful chemical nature
Manx:
ard-physhoonagh
— having a harmful chemical nature
Māori:
paitini
— having a harmful chemical nature
Māori:
tāoke
— having a harmful chemical nature
Marathi:
विषारी
(viṣārī)
— having a harmful chemical nature
Eastern Mari:
аяр
(ajar)
— having a harmful chemical nature
Norwegian Bokmål:
giftig
— having a harmful chemical nature
Norwegian Bokmål:
toksisk
— having a harmful chemical nature
Norwegian Nynorsk:
giftig
— having a harmful chemical nature
Norwegian Nynorsk:
toksisk
— having a harmful chemical nature
Persian:
زهری
— having a harmful chemical nature
Polish:
toksyczny
— having a harmful chemical nature
Portuguese:
tóxico
— having a harmful chemical nature
Romanian:
toxic
— having a harmful chemical nature
Russian:
токси́чный
(toksíčnyj)
— having a harmful chemical nature
Russian:
ядови́тый
(jadovítyj)
— having a harmful chemical nature
Sanskrit:
विष
(viṣa)
— having a harmful chemical nature
Serbo-Croatian:
то̀ксичан
— having a harmful chemical nature
Serbo-Croatian:
tòksičan
— having a harmful chemical nature
Slovak:
otravný
— having a harmful chemical nature
Slovak:
toxický
— having a harmful chemical nature
Slovene:
strupen
— having a harmful chemical nature
Spanish:
tóxico
— having a harmful chemical nature
Swedish:
giftig
— having a harmful chemical nature
Swedish:
toxisk
— having a harmful chemical nature
Thai:
เป็นพิษ
(bpen-pít)
— having a harmful chemical nature
Turkish:
toksik
— having a harmful chemical nature
Ottoman Turkish:
مسموم
(mesmum)
— having a harmful chemical nature
Ukrainian:
отруйний
(otrujnyj)
— having a harmful chemical nature
Ukrainian:
токсичний
(toksyčnyj)
— having a harmful chemical nature
Vietnamese:
độc
— having a harmful chemical nature
Yiddish:
טאָקסיש
(toksish)
— having a harmful chemical nature
Yiddish:
סמיק
(samik)
— having a harmful chemical nature
