Word of the Day 11.21.08
pernicious
per·ni·cious (p
r-n
sh
s)
adj.
1.
a. Tending to cause death or serious injury; deadly: a pernicious virus.
b. Causing great harm; destructive: pernicious rumors.
2. Archaic Evil; wicked.
[Middle English, from Old French pernicios, from Latin pernici
sus, from pernici
s, destruction : per-, per- + nex, nec-, violent death; see nek-1 in Indo-European roots.]
per·nicious·ly adv.
per·nicious·ness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
| Adj. | 1. | pernicious – exceedingly harmful
noxious – injurious to physical or mental health; “noxious chemical wastes”; “noxious ideas”
|
| 2. | pernicious – working or spreading in a hidden and usually injurious way; “glaucoma is an insidious disease”; “a subtle poison”
harmful – causing or capable of causing harm; “too much sun is harmful to the skin”; “harmful effects of smoking”
|
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2008 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
