Synonyms of poison

poison 1 of 3

adjective

as in poisoned

containing or contaminated with a substance capable of injuring or killing a living thing

the witch gave Snow White a poison apple

Synonyms & Similar Words

• poisoned
• poisonous
• toxic
• venomous
• harmful
• envenomed
• infectious
• infective
• malignant
• injurious
• pathogenic
• lethal
• virulent
• deleterious
• baneful
• contagious
• pestilential
• fatal
• noxious
• unhealthful
• hurtful
• deadly
• nocuous
• unwholesome
• pestilent
• unhealthy
• calamitous
• fell
• murderous

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• beneficial
• nontoxic
• curative
• healthy
• helpful
• healthful
• remedial
• wholesome
• palliative
• nonpoisonous
• harmless
• salutary
• salubrious
• benign
• innocuous
• nonvenomous
• inoffensive
• nonfatal
• nonlethal

poison

2 of 3

noun

ˈpȯi-zᵊn 

as in toxic

a substance that by chemical action can kill or injure a living thing

the only way to get rid of rats is to leave out poison

Synonyms & Similar Words

• toxic
• disease
• venom
• toxin
• pesticide
• virus
• toxicant
• bane
• contagion
• insecticide
• cancer
• herbicide
• germicide
• fungicide
• microbicide

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• antidote
• cure
• antivenin
• antivenom
• elixir
• panacea
• mithridate
• cure-all

poison

3 of 3

verb

1

as in to taint

to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable

poisoning the minds of impressionable children with ethnic hatred

Synonyms & Similar Words

• taint
• spoil
• stain
• mar
• darken
• touch
• tarnish
• discredit
• vitiate
• smear
• degrade
• soil
• pollute
• corrupt
• blemish
• distort
• blacken
• dirty
• tar
• blur
• smudge
• besmirch
• disgrace
• cloud
• dishonor
• shame
• discolor
• smut
• sully
• besmear
• sink
• pervert
• subvert
• debase
• foul
• deprave
• lower
• smirch
• debauch
• demean
• twist
• cheapen
• abase
• color
• demoralize
• begrime
• bastardize

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• purify
• cleanse
• elevate
• glorify
• magnify
• uplift
• dignify
• ennoble
• enshrine
• hallow

2

as in to pollute

to make unfit for use by the addition of something harmful or undesirable

exhaust fumes poisoning the air

Synonyms & Similar Words

• pollute
• contaminate
• taint
• infect
• defile
• befoul
• foul
• soil
• dirty
• stain
• dilute
• besmirch
• smudge
• adulterate
• rot
• sully
• blacken
• corrupt
• mire
• foul up
• muddy
• spoil
• water down
• smirch
• grime
• begrime
• doctor

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• purify
• clean
• purge
• cleanse
• clarify
• clear
• decontaminate
• filter
• distill
• sterilize
• disinfect
• distil
• sanitize

3

as in to degrade

to lower in character, dignity, or quality

this party partisanship poisons the national debate we should be having about this urgent problem

Synonyms & Similar Words

• degrade
• corrupt
• weaken
• dilute
• destroy
• damage
• subvert
• deteriorate
• humiliate
• ruin
• debauch
• pervert
• prostitute
• canker
• taint
• pollute
• debase
• deprave
• contaminate
• disgrace
• demean
• lessen
• vitiate
• harm
• hurt
• bastardize
• dirty
• abase
• warp
• demoralize
• shame
• cheapen
• profane
• mar
• humble
• impair
• water down
• wreck
• spoil
• thin
• dishonor
• defile
• stain
• flaw
• tarnish
• befoul
• descend
• take down
• begrime
• deface
• downgrade
• blemish
• depreciate

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• improve
• better
• elevate
• uplift
• honor
• perfect
• enhance
• exalt
• enrich
• ennoble
• amend
• ameliorate
• purify
• clean
• restore
• cleanse
• dignify
• refine
• clarify
• respect
• meliorate

4

as in to turn

to cause to have often negative opinions formed without sufficient knowledge

malicious rumors had poisoned many church members against the new pastor

Synonyms & Similar Words

• turn
• prejudice
• bias
• persuade
• convince
• influence
• dispose
• predispose
• incline
• prepossess
• suggest

Examples of poison in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Noun

From January to November 2023, control poison centers across the U.S. reported nearly 3,000 calls involving semaglutide, a more than 15-fold increase since 2019. —Liz Szabo, NBC News, 3 Aug. 2024

Which is precisely why Moscow insists on trying to sow poison in Ukraine’s consciousness through sheer vindictive envy. —Melik Kaylan, Forbes, 16 Sep. 2024

Verb

Ashley accused Doug of poisoning her and told the judge about that incident when Doug fired a gun into the ceiling. —Jim Axelrod, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2024

His status as a diplomat did little to shield him when a member of the throng accused him of poisoning the water source. —Francine Uenuma, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Sep. 2024