Synonym Chooser

How is the word pernicious different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of pernicious are baneful, deleterious, detrimental, and noxious. While all these words mean "exceedingly harmful," pernicious implies irreparable harm done through evil or insidious corrupting or undermining.

the claim that pornography has a pernicious effect on society

When is baneful a more appropriate choice than pernicious?

The words baneful and pernicious are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, baneful implies injury through poisoning or destroying.

the baneful notion that discipline destroys creativity

When could deleterious be used to replace pernicious?

While in some cases nearly identical to pernicious, deleterious applies to what has an often unsuspected harmful effect.

a diet found to have deleterious effects

In what contexts can detrimental take the place of pernicious?

The meanings of detrimental and pernicious largely overlap; however, detrimental implies obvious harmfulness to something specified.

the detrimental effects of excessive drinking

When is it sensible to use noxious instead of pernicious?

While the synonyms noxious and pernicious are close in meaning, noxious applies to what is both offensive and injurious to the health of a body or mind.

noxious chemical fumes

Examples 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 pernicious Ukraine is fighting against a Russia that has been a pernicious, destabilizing force on the global stage. Frida Ghitis, CNN, 22 Jan. 2023 And yet, three full years into the pandemic, scientists are still trying to understand what exactly makes SARS-CoV-2 so pernicious. Joel Achenbach, Anchorage Daily News, 21 Jan. 2023 But while the American public seems well aware of social media’s pernicious effects on political discourse, don’t expect things to change anytime soon. Jacob Carpenter, Fortune, 8 Nov. 2022 Does this persistent and pernicious misapprehension of the importance of fish in the Mediterranean’s past have ramifications for the modern inheritors of the Mediterranean Sea thousands of years later? Paul Greenberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Dec. 2022 See all Example Sentences for pernicious 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pernicious
Adjective
  • As a result, regulators will introduce more stringent rules and frameworks aimed at curbing the harmful effects of false information.
    Stu Sjouwerman, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
  • Many advocacy organizations have also warned that age verification laws that require users to provide their government IDs pose serious privacy threats, while not actually protecting minors from harmful online content.
    James Factora, Them, 6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • These wild lands accumulate brush, and that brush is incredibly dangerous.
    Audrey Conklin, Fox News, 12 Jan. 2025
  • Hurts is incredibly dangerous with his legs, rushing for 630 yards and 14 TDs this season.
    Rob Reischel, Forbes, 12 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Vulnerable Populations Although everybody’s health can be affected when experiencing wildfires, certain populations are more likely to experience the detrimental health effects of fires.
    Omer Awan, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2025
  • And not all of them are equally detrimental to health.
    Sarah Garone, Health, 11 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Mother Nature exploded in Los Angeles this month with the most damaging wildfires in the city’s, and likely the nation’s, history.
    Carmen Balber, Rolling Stone, 17 Jan. 2025
  • The deficit hawks said the package must be paid for by other changes to the budget — a stipulation that infuriated Republicans from New York and New Jersey, where the storm was most damaging, and triggered an internal fight within the GOP that benefited Democrats politically.
    Mike Lillis, The Hill, 16 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Some animals experienced adverse effects after consuming 150-300 milligrams (mg) of sulforaphane per kilogram (kg) of body weight.
    Chelsea Rae Bourgeois, RDN, LD, Health, 11 Jan. 2025
  • The recall classification for the nuggets is Class 2, meaning that the products contain something that could cause temporary adverse health consequences to people who are exposed to it.
    Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near pernicious

Cite this Entry

“Pernicious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pernicious. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on pernicious

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