as in poisoned
containing or contaminated with a substance capable of injuring or killing a living thing
some evil person was leaving out poisonous meat for neighborhood dogs to eat
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Recent Examples of poisonous
An herbalist who had a way with poisonous plants.
—
Literary Hub, 5 Jan. 2026
Others detect bitter tastes, tuning in to the large number of compounds in nature that are poisonous.
—Linda Bartoshuk, The Conversation, 5 Jan. 2026
The nuts are poisonous and should not be consumed.
—Nasha Smith, PEOPLE, 1 Jan. 2026
In the wake of a global catastrophe where a poisonous cloud is killing everything alive, a group of family and friends gather for one last night of revelry.
—Huntley Woods, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for poisonous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poisonous
Adjective
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Michelle spins a long and complicated tale, but insists Teddy was wrong about the Andromedans trying to infiltrate and poison humanity.—
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Constant procedural upheaval and backlogs are poison.—
Adjective
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They’re combined with a non-toxic, hypoallergenic down alternative filling, creating a plush and luxurious sleeping experience that’s designed for back, side, and stomach sleepers.—
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Many hominids went extinct during this period, and being able to consume alcohol without adverse and/or toxic effects would have conferred a survival advantage.—
Adjective
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Other shipments sent by Lin included alligator lizards, venomous green tree vipers and palm pit vipers, all protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.—
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Other aggressive species include the horsefly, a venomous sand-burrowing fish, and the cherubic-looking pine marten, a kind of cute but angry weasel.—
Cite this Entry
“Poisonous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poisonous. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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