noxious

[nok-shuhs]

adjective

1. harmful or injurious to health or physical well-being.

   noxious fumes.

   Synonyms: deleterious, detrimental, nocuous, unhealthy, unwholesome, hurtful
   Antonyms: harmless

2. morally harmful; corrupting; pernicious.

   a noxious plan to spread dissension.

   Synonyms: corruptive
   Antonyms: harmless

noxious

/ ˈnɒkʃəs /

adjective

1. poisonous or harmful

2. harmful to the mind or morals; corrupting

Other Word Forms

• noxiously adverb
• noxiousness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of noxious¹

1605–15; < Latin noxius harmful, hurtful, injurious, equivalent to nox ( a ) harm, hurt, injury (akin to nocēre to do harm, inflict injury; innocent ) + -ius -ious

Word History and Origins

Origin of noxious¹

C17: from Latin noxius harmful, from noxa injury

Example Sentences

The activists worry the line will harm birds and that construction and maintenance crews driving through the transmission line corridor will carry in noxious weeds and invasive species.

From Salon

A 76-year-old man was arrested at a nearby pub on Monday evening on suspicion of administering poison or a noxious substance with intent to injure, aggrieve or annoy and he remains in custody.

From BBC

The arrested man was detained on suspicion of administering poison or a noxious thing with intent to injure, aggrieve or annoy.

From BBC

Xenophobia has always colored this nation’s past crackdowns on immigration legal and not, but the Golden State became a noxious cauldron whose anti-immigrant fumes have infested Americans in a way not seen in a century.

From Los Angeles Times

Noem’s noxious mix of willful ignorance and inflammatory rhetoric is almost too ludicrous to mock.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• corrupting www.thesaurus.com
• destructive 
• fetid 
• harmful 
• pernicious 
• poisonous 
• putrid 
• toxic 
• unhealthy 
• virulent