pernicious

English

Etymology

From Middle English, from Old French pernicios, from Latin perniciosus (“destructive”), from pernicies (“destruction”), from per (“through”) + nex (“slaughter, death”)

Pronunciation

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  Rhymes: -ɪʃəs

Adjective

pernicious (comparative more pernicious, superlative most pernicious)

1. Causing much harm in a subtle way.
   • 1911, Emma Goldman, The Hypocrisy of Puritanism,

     Puritanism no longer employs the thumbscrew and lash; but it still has a most pernicious hold on the minds and feelings of the American people.

2. Causing death or injury; deadly.

Synonyms

• attery

Related terms

• pernicious anaemia

Translations

causing much harm

Bulgarian: пагубен (bg) (páguben) Dutch: schadelijk (nl), destructief (nl) Finnish: turmiollinen, haitallinen, tuhoisa French: nocif (fr), malsain (fr), pernicieux (fr) German: schädlich (de), bösartig (de), verderblich (de)

Italian: pernicioso (it) Macedonian: погубен (mk) (póguben) m. Russian: тлетворный (ru) (tletvórnyj), пагубный (ru) (págubnyj) Scottish Gaelic: sgriosail (gd) Spanish: pernicioso (es)

causing death or injury

Bulgarian: гибелен (bg) (gíbelen), пагубен (bg) (páguben) Dutch: dodelijk (nl), schadelijk (nl) Finnish: tappava (fi) French: nocif (fr), délétère (fr), nuisible (fr), dangereux (fr)

Macedonian: погубен (mk) (póguben) m. Russian: вредный (ru) (vrédnyj), гибельный (ru) (gíbel'nyj) Spanish: pernicioso (es)

Anagrams

• superionic