POISON Synonyms: 198 Similar and Opposite Words

poison 1 of 3

adjective

Definition of poison

as in poisoned

containing or contaminated with a substance capable of injuring or killing a living thing the witch gave Snow White a poison apple

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poison

2 of 3

noun

ˈpȯi-zᵊn

as in toxic

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

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poison

3 of 3

verb

as in to taint

to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable poisoning the minds of impressionable children with ethnic hatred

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as in to pollute

to make unfit for use by the addition of something harmful or undesirable exhaust fumes poisoning the air

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as in to degrade

to lower in character, dignity, or quality this party partisanship poisons the national debate we should be having about this urgent problem

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as in to turn

to cause to have often negative opinions formed without sufficient knowledge malicious rumors had poisoned many church members against the new pastor

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of poison

Adjective

Michelle spins a long and complicated tale, but insists Teddy was wrong about the Andromedans trying to infiltrate and poison humanity. — Megan McCluskey, Time, 31 Oct. 2025 Constant procedural upheaval and backlogs are poison. — Scott White, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025

Noun

On the floor, there is a plate with poison/chemical for rat, mop sink room. — Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026 Previous strategies for growing plants on Mars included rinsing these poisons out, bringing supplemental fertilizers from Earth, or avoiding Martian soil entirely and using hydroponics. — Charles Q. Choi, Space.com, 9 Oct. 2026

Verb

James Folta considers how generative AI is poisoning the literary well for everyone. — Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026 Apparently, Griffith now suspected that the Mesmers had poisoned Briswalter, and planned to poison him next. — Andrew Coletti, Popular Science, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for poison

Recent Examples of Synonyms for poison

Adjective

Now, a poisonous residue on the same crowbar has left him incapacitated.

— Scott Tobias, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026
This low-temperature, low-pressure hydrometallurgical method removes arsenic cleanly and operates without fossil fuels or poisonous gas emissions.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of poisonous

Noun

In late May, about 50,000 people in Orange County were evacuated because, at a Garden Grove site operated by GKN Aerospace, tanks holding a volatile hazardous chemical called methyl methacrylate were at risk of exploding or leaking toxics.

— Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026
Munoz is an independent toxicologist working in collaboration with MAHA against pesticides and toxics.

— Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 10 July 2026

Definition of toxic

Verb

When those waters are polluted, the damage is not confined to a technical measurement in a permit or a line on a monitoring report.

— Dana Adkins, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
Norway rats can transmit diseases to humans and other animals, damage property, and pollute food.

— Blythe Copeland, Martha Stewart, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of pollute

Verb

At rates faster than the cap, the internet degrades and is no longer usable.

— Jennifer Jacobs, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
Living with neck and back pain from stress, tension, poor posture and other causes can seriously degrade your quality of life, but Therabody's latest innovation can help.

— ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of degrade

Verb

But one item that is broken out in the report is $100 million, for turning tracks that would allow trains to be turned at the airport.

— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority says its Evasion and Graffiti Lawlessness Eradication (EAGLE) Teams aren't going away despite two recent confrontations between fare inspectors and bus riders that turned physical.

— Elijah Westbrook, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of turn

Verb

There has been no more satisfying slap in cinema this year than the one Erika lands on a smug German actor, leading to a wicked punchline that shouldn’t be spoiled.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
Anthony Edwards hit nine 3-pointers and scored 45 points to join an elite club; LaMelo Ball scored 21 in his Minnesota debut, and the Timberwolves spoiled Giannis Antetokounmpo's first game with Miami by beating the Heat 131-106 on Wednesday night.

— CBS News, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of spoil

Browse Nearby Words

poising

poison

poisoned

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Style

“Poison.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poison. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of poison

adjective

noun

verb

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