poison

noun
UK: /ˈpɔɪ.zən/
US: /ˈpɔɪ.zən/

  1. A substance that can cause illness or death when taken into the body.

    1. That drink might have poison in it. [ ] [ ]
    2. The chemical plant was accused of releasing poison into the river and harming local wildlife. [ ] [ ]

  2. Something that is very harmful and unpleasant.

    1. Gossip is a kind of poison that damages relationships. [ ] [ ]
    2. The politician's hateful rhetoric was like poison, spreading division and fear throughout the community. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

venom toxin bane contaminate corrupt taint
poison verb

  1. To kill or harm someone using poison.

    1. Someone tried to poison the dog. [ ] [ ]
    2. He was accused of trying to poison his rivals to gain control of the company. [ ] [ ]

  2. To have a bad effect on something.

    1. Don't let anger poison your mind. [ ] [ ]
    2. The scandal threatened to poison the atmosphere of trust that had been carefully built over years. [ ] [ ]
poison adjective

  1. Containing or capable of producing poison.

    1. That berry is poison. [ ] [ ]
    2. Handle with care, the box contains poison material that can be very harmfull. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "poison" in English means: A substance that can cause illness or death when taken into the body., Something that is very harmful and unpleasant..

The phonetic transcription of "poison" is /ˈpɔɪ.zən/ in British English and /ˈpɔɪ.zən/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "poison": venom, toxin, bane, contaminate, corrupt, taint.

Example usage of "poison": "That drink might have poison in it.". More examples on the page.