toxic

1 of 3

adjective

tox·​ic ˈtäk-sik How to pronounce toxic (audio)
1
: containing or being poisonous material especially when capable of causing death or serious debilitation
toxic waste
a toxic radioactive gas
an insecticide highly toxic to birds
2
: exhibiting symptoms of infection or toxicosis
the patient became toxic two days later
3
: extremely harsh, malicious, or harmful
toxic sarcasm
4
: relating to or being an asset that has lost so much value that it cannot be sold on the market

toxic

2 of 3

noun

: a toxic substance
usually used in plural

toxic-

3 of 3

combining form

variants or toxico-
: poison
toxicology

Examples of toxic in a Sentence

Adjective The fumes from that chemical are highly toxic. Tests will be run to determine if the landfill is toxic. Noun tested for toxics in the water supply
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Starring Alex Wolff, Lewis Pullman and Halle Bailey, The Line is the gripping tale of the manipulations, toxic relationships and inevitable danger that thousands of students face every year in U.S. universities, by joining fraternities. Maelle Beauget-Uhl, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024 Some human foods are safe for dogs (like carrots) while others, like chocolate, are toxic. Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 31 Oct. 2024
Noun
According to Apolo, theobromine, an alkaloid in the cacao beans used to make chocolate, makes chocolate toxic to canines. Kelli Bender, People.com, 29 Oct. 2024 Many are similar to existing antibiotics or toxic to humans. Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for toxic 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'toxic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Late Latin toxicus, from Latin toxicum poison, from Greek toxikon arrow poison, from neuter of toxikos of a bow, from toxon bow, arrow

Combining form

New Latin, from Latin toxicum

First Known Use

Adjective

1664, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1687, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of toxic was in 1664

Dictionary Entries Near toxic

Cite this Entry

“Toxic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/toxic. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

toxic

adjective
tox·​ic
ˈtäk-sik
1
: of, relating to, or caused by a poison or toxin
2
toxicity
täk-ˈsis-ət-ē
noun
Etymology

Adjective

from Latin toxicus "relating to or caused by a poison," from earlier toxicum "poison," from Greek toxikon "a poison put on the tips of arrows," from toxikos "of a bow and arrows," from toxon "bow, arrow" — related to intoxicate, toxin see Word History at intoxicate

Medical Definition

toxic

1 of 2 adjective
tox·​ic ˈtäk-sik How to pronounce toxic (audio)
1
: containing or being poisonous material especially when capable of causing serious injury or death
toxic drugs
toxic gas
2
: of, relating to, or caused by a poison or toxin
toxic liver damage
3
a
: affected by a poison or toxin
b
: affected with toxemia of pregnancy
toxic pregnant women

toxic

2 of 2 noun
: a toxic substance

Legal Definition

toxic

adjective
tox·​ic ˈtäk-sik How to pronounce toxic (audio)
1
: containing or being poisonous material especially when capable of causing death or serious debilitation
2
: having substantially lowered worth
specifically : relating to or being an asset that has lost so much value that it cannot be sold on the market
toxic assets
toxic subprime loans

More from Merriam-Webster on toxic

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