V2 Vocabulary Building Dictionary
pernicious
adjective
Definition: 1. extremely harmful or deadly; 2. intending to cause harm--malicious
Synonyms: hurtful, dangerous, destructive, deadly, harmful, detrimental, lethal, fatal, wicked, malicious, malevolent
Antonyms: beneficial, helpful, benign
Tips: Pernicious is derived from the Latin pernicies, which means "destruction" or "death." Something pernicious is likely to cause harm and death. It is a very harsh word and should be used to describe things that are extremely dangerous, not just mildly harmful. An easy way to remember this word is to recall that it rhymes with "malicious." One of the definitions for pernicious is synonymous with malicious. Pernicious is an even stronger word than malicious. Malicious describes the intent to hurt someone, either physically or emotionally. Pernicious is the intent to kill or seriously hurt and harm someone.
Usage Examples:
The team of scientists were working on cures for some of the world's most pernicious diseases. (deadly)
The shark bite left a pernicious wound on the young woman's body. (fatal)
She was immediately afraid of the man because she could tell that he had pernicious intentions. (malicious, wicked)
Terrorists execute pernicious plots intended to hurt innocent people. (deadly, malicious)
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