Poison — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb adjective /ˈpȯi-zᵊn/ poi·son

Meaning & Definition of Poison

Poison (noun)

  1. a substance that through its chemical action usually kills, injures, or impairs an organism
  2. something destructive or harmful
  3. an object of aversion or abhorrence

Poison (verb)

  1. to injure or kill with poison
  2. to treat, taint, or impregnate with or as if with poison
  3. to exert a baneful influence on, corrupt

Poison (adjective)

  1. poisonous, venomous
  2. impregnated with poison, poisoned

Poison (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. containing or contaminated with a substance capable of injuring or killing a living thing

    "the witch gave Snow White a poison apple"

    similar: envenomed, poisoned, poisonous, toxic, venomous
    related: contagious, infectious, infective, pathogenic, pestilent, pestilential, baneful, deleterious, harmful, hurtful, injurious, malignant, nocuous, noxious, virulent, unhealthful, unhealthy, unwholesome, calamitous, deadly, fatal, fell, lethal, murderous
    opposite: nonpoisonous, nontoxic, nonvenomous
    near: beneficial, curative, healthful, healthy, helpful, palliative, remedial, salubrious, salutary, wholesome, benign, harmless, innocuous, inoffensive, nonfatal, nonlethal

Poison (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a substance that by chemical action can kill or injure a living thing

    "the only way to get rid of rats is to leave out poison"

    similar: bane, toxic, toxin, venom
    related: cancer, contagion, disease, virus, fungicide, germicide, herbicide, insecticide, microbicide, pesticide, toxicant
    near: antidote, antivenin, antivenom, mithridate, cure, cure-all, elixir, panacea

Poison (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable

    "poisoning the minds of impressionable children with ethnic hatred"

    similar: blemish, darken, mar, spoil, stain, taint, tarnish, touch, vitiate
    related: begrime, besmear, besmirch, blacken, blur, cloud, dirty, discolor, pollute, smear, smirch, smudge, smut, soil, sully, tar, abase, cheapen, debase, degrade, demean, discredit, disgrace, dishonor, foul, lower, shame, sink, bastardize, corrupt, debauch, demoralize, deprave, pervert, subvert, color, distort, twist
    near: cleanse, purify, dignify, elevate, ennoble, enshrine, glorify, hallow, magnify, uplift

  2. to make unfit for use by the addition of something harmful or undesirable

    "exhaust fumes poisoning the air"

    similar: befoul, contaminate, defile, foul, pollute, taint
    related: infect, begrime, besmirch, blacken, dirty, foul up, grime, mire, muddy, smirch, smudge, soil, stain, sully, corrupt, rot, spoil, adulterate, doctor, dilute, water down
    opposite: decontaminate, purify
    near: clarify, clean, cleanse, clear, distill, purge, filter, disinfect, sanitize, sterilize

  3. to lower in character, dignity, or quality

    "this party partisanship poisons the national debate we should be having about this urgent problem"

    similar: abase, bastardize, canker, cheapen, corrupt, debase, debauch, degrade, demean, demoralize, deprave, deteriorate, lessen, pervert, profane, prostitute, subvert, vitiate, warp
    related: befoul, begrime, contaminate, defile, dilute, dirty, pollute, taint, thin, water down, weaken, descend, disgrace, dishonor, humble, humiliate, shame, take down, blemish, damage, deface, destroy, flaw, harm, hurt, impair, mar, ruin, spoil, stain, tarnish, wreck, depreciate, downgrade
    opposite: elevate, ennoble, uplift
    near: dignify, exalt, honor, ameliorate, amend, better, enhance, enrich, improve, meliorate, perfect, clarify, clean, cleanse, purify, refine, restore, respect

  4. to cause to have often negative opinions formed without sufficient knowledge

    "malicious rumors had poisoned many church members against the new pastor"

    similar: bias, prejudice, turn
    related: dispose, incline, predispose, influence, prepossess, convince, persuade, suggest

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Poison

The most common words with a similar meaning to Poison:

envenomed, poisoned, poisonous, toxic, venomous, bane, toxin, venom, blemish, darken, mar, spoil, stain, taint, tarnish, touch, vitiate, befoul, contaminate, defile, foul, pollute, abase, bastardize, canker, cheapen, corrupt, debase, debauch, degrade, demean, demoralize, deprave, deteriorate, lessen, pervert, profane, prostitute, subvert, warp

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Poison

Words with the opposite meaning of Poison:

nonpoisonous, nontoxic, nonvenomous, decontaminate, purify, elevate, ennoble, uplift

Related Words for Poison

contagious, infectious, infective, pathogenic, pestilent, pestilential, baneful, deleterious, harmful, hurtful, injurious, malignant, nocuous, noxious, virulent, unhealthful, unhealthy, unwholesome, calamitous, deadly, fatal, fell, lethal, murderous, cancer, contagion, disease, virus, fungicide, germicide

Near Antonyms of Poison

beneficial, curative, healthful, healthy, helpful, palliative, remedial, salubrious, salutary, wholesome, benign, harmless, innocuous, inoffensive, nonfatal, nonlethal, antidote, antivenin, antivenom, mithridate, cure, cure-all, elixir, panacea, cleanse, dignify, enshrine, glorify, hallow, magnify

Word Forms of Poison

Inflections: poisoned, poisoning

Derived words: poisoner (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Poison

Middle English, from Anglo-French poisun drink, potion, poison, from Latin potion-, potio drink potion

First known use: 13th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Poison

Words & Phrases Containing Poison

poison dart frog, poison gas, poison hemlock, poison ivy, poison oak, poison-pen, poison pill

Frequently Asked Questions about Poison

What does "Poison" mean?

"Poison" means a substance that through its chemical action usually kills, injures, or impairs an organism. As an a noun, a verb and an adjective, it is defined as: a substance that through its chemical action usually kills, injures, or impairs an organism. It has 6 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Poison"?

Other words for "Poison" include envenomed, poisoned, poisonous, toxic, venomous, bane, toxin and venom. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Poison" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Poison"?

There are 137 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Poison". Common alternatives include envenomed, poisoned, poisonous, toxic, venomous, bane, toxin, venom, blemish and darken.

What is the opposite of "Poison"?

Antonyms of "Poison" include nonpoisonous, nontoxic, nonvenomous, decontaminate, purify, elevate, ennoble and uplift. Near antonyms include beneficial, curative, healthful and healthy.

How do you use "Poison" in a sentence?

Examples of "Poison" in a sentence: "the witch gave Snow White a poison apple"; "the only way to get rid of rats is to leave out poison"; "poisoning the minds of impressionable children with ethnic hatred".

Is "Poison" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Poison" can be used as a noun, a verb and an adjective, depending on the context.

Is "Poison" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B1-level word, "Poison" is typical of Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET), IELTS band 4.0–5.0, TOEFL iBT 42–71, PTE Academic 43–58, TOEIC Listening & Reading 550+.

How do you pronounce "Poison"?

"Poison" is pronounced /ˈpȯi-zᵊn/ and divided into syllables as poi·son.