venomous

adjective

ven·​om·​ous ˈve-nə-məs 

1

: producing venom in a specialized gland and capable of inflicting injury or death

venomous snakes

2

: full of venom: such as

a

: poisonous, envenomed

b

: noxious, pernicious

expose a venomous dope ring

—Don Porter

c

: spiteful, malevolent

venomous criticism

venomously adverb

venomousness noun

Synonyms

• envenomed
• poison
• poisoned
• poisonous
• toxic

Examples of venomous in a Sentence

The cobra is a venomous snake.

a venomous attack on his character

Recent Examples on the Web

Giving 11 venomous snakes a chance to escape inside your office sounds risky, but one of the nation’s top rattlesnake experts did just that to prove a point. —Mark Price, Miami Herald, 3 Jan. 2025

Why This Matters According to the CDC, between 7,000 and 8,000 people are bitten by venomous snakes in the United States every year; deaths caused by snakebites are rare, and will occur in at least five of those cases. —Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 31 Dec. 2024

In the clip of the cobra's removal, Rossouw lifts the pillow the venomous snake is hiding under to show viewers that the reptile is lurking under the bed covers. —Kelli Bender, People.com, 11 Dec. 2024

The venomous species can deliver a painful bite that can lead to death without medical attention. —Hilary Whiteman, CNN, 28 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English venimous, borrowed from Anglo-French venimus, venimous, from venim venom entry 1 + -us, -ous -ous

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

venomous

adjective

ven·​om·​ous ˈven-ə-məs 

: having or producing venom

venomous snakes

venomously adverb

Medical Definition

venomous

adjective

ven·​om·​ous ˈven-ə-məs 

1

: poisonous

2

: producing venom in a specialized gland and capable of inflicting injury or death

the vipers, pit vipers, and coral snakes are venomous