PERNICIOUS: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for PERNICIOUS?

Need another word that means the same as “pernicious”? Find 31 synonyms and 30 related words for “pernicious” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Pernicious” are: insidious, subtle, baneful, deadly, pestilent, harmful, damaging, destructive, injurious, hurtful, detrimental, deleterious, dangerous, adverse, inimical, unhealthy, unfavourable, bad, evil, baleful, wicked, malign, malevolent, malignant, noxious, poisonous, cancerous, corrupting, ruinous, lethal, fatal

Pernicious as an Adjective

Definitions of "Pernicious" as an adjective

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “pernicious” as an adjective can have the following definitions:

• Working or spreading in a hidden and usually injurious way.
• Exceedingly harmful.
• Having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way.

Synonyms of "Pernicious" as an adjective (31 Words)

adverse	Contrary to your interests or welfare. Taxes are having an adverse effect on production.
bad	Feeling physical discomfort or pain tough is occasionally used colloquially for bad. A bad chess player.
baleful	Having a harmful or destructive effect. A baleful look.
baneful	Deadly or sinister. The baneful effects of envy and jealousy.
cancerous	Affected by or showing abnormalities characteristic of cancer. A cancerous growth.
corrupting	Touched by rot or decay. Corrupt judges and their corrupting influence.
damaging	Having a detrimental effect on someone or something. Damaging allegations of corruption.
dangerous	Involving or causing danger or risk; liable to hurt or harm. Insecticides which are dangerous to the environment.
deadly	Extremely poisonous or injurious; producing venom. A series of deadly attacks.
deleterious	Causing harm or damage. Divorce is assumed to have deleterious effects on children.
destructive	Negative and unhelpful. A policy that is destructive to the economy.
detrimental	(sometimes followed by `to’) causing harm or injury. Recent policies have been detrimental to the interests of many old people.
evil	Of a force or spirit embodying or associated with the forces of the devil. An evil influence.
fatal	Causing death. Such doctrines if true would be absolutely fatal to my theory.
harmful	Causing or likely to cause harm. Sugars which can be harmful to the teeth.
hurtful	Causing distress to someone’s feelings. His hurtful remarks.
inimical	Tending to obstruct or harm. An inimical critic.
injurious	Harmful to living things. Food which is injurious to health.
insidious	Proceeding in a gradual, subtle way, but with very harmful effects. Insidious pleasures.
lethal	Very harmful or destructive. The Krakatoa eruption was the most lethal on record.
malevolent	Having or exerting a malignant influence. The glint of dark malevolent eyes.
malign	Of a disease malignant. Prompted by malign motives.
malignant	(of a tumour) tending to invade normal tissue or to recur after removal; cancerous. In the hands of malignant fate.
noxious	Injurious to physical or mental health. Noxious chemical wastes.
pestilent	Destructive to life; deadly. A pestilential malignancy in the air.
poisonous	Marked by deep ill will; deliberately harmful. Poisonous chemicals.
ruinous	Costing far more than can be afforded. A ruinous effect on the environment.
subtle	Making use of clever and indirect methods to achieve something. Subtle lighting.
unfavourable	Likely to lead to an adverse outcome. Single mothers are often the target of unfavourable press attention.
unhealthy	Not having or showing good health. An unhealthy climate.
wicked	Extremely unpleasant. A wicked sense of humour.

Usage Examples of "Pernicious" as an adjective

• The pernicious influences of the mass media.

Associations of "Pernicious" (30 Words)

antidote	A remedy that stops or controls the effects of a poison. There is no known antidote to the poison of the pufferfish.
counterproductive	Having the opposite of the desired effect. Child experts fear the Executive s plans may prove counterproductive.
damaging	Causing harm or injury. New cars are less damaging to the environment.
deadly	Exceedingly harmful. Her skin was deadly pale.
deleterious	Harmful to living things. Deleterious chemical additives.
detrimental	Tending to cause harm. Recent policies have been detrimental to the interests of many old people.
devastating	Physically or spiritually devastating often used in combination. She had a devastating wit.
exotoxin	A toxin that is secreted by microorganisms into the surrounding medium.
fatal	Having momentous consequences; of decisive importance. Such doctrines if true would be absolutely fatal to my theory.
harmful	Causing or likely to cause harm. Harmful effects of smoking.
injurious	(of language) maliciously insulting; libellous. Food which is injurious to health.
lethal	(in a sporting context) very accurate or skilful. A lethal injection.
libelous	(used of statements) harmful and often untrue; tending to discredit or malign.
mercury	Temperature measured by a mercury thermometer. The mercury was falling rapidly.
mortal	Causing or liable to cause death; fatal. For three mortal days it rained.
noxious	Injurious to physical or mental health. Noxious ideas.
poison	Kill by its poison. Poison someone s mind.
poisoning	The act of giving poison to a person or animal with the intent to kill. Symptoms of poisoning may include nausea diarrhoea and vomiting.
poisonous	Extremely unpleasant or malicious. Poisonous hate.
pollutant	A substance that pollutes something, especially water or the atmosphere. Chemical pollutants.
prejudicial	Causing harm or injury. The proposals were considered prejudicial to the city centre.
ruinous	Extremely harmful; bringing physical or financial ruin. The cost of their ransom might be ruinous.
toxic	Denoting securities that are based on toxic debt and for which there is not a healthy or functioning market. Toxic chemicals.
toxicity	The quality of being very harmful or unpleasant in a pervasive or insidious way. That was how I protected my partner from my family s toxicity.
toxin	A poisonous substance produced during the metabolism and growth of certain microorganisms and some higher plant and animal species.
unhealthy	Harmful to health. His skin looked pale and unhealthy.
vampire	(folklore) a corpse that rises at night to drink the blood of the living. The protectionist vampires in the Congress.
venom	Extreme malice and bitterness shown in someone’s attitudes, speech, or actions. His voice was full of venom.
venomous	(of an animal, especially a snake) secreting venom, or capable of injecting venom by means of a bite or sting. Venomous snakes.
virulent	Harsh or corrosive in tone. Staphylococcus aureus is a common organism whose virulent strains are causing problems.