toxic Meaning & Definition
What Does Toxic Mean?
Toxic is used as an adjective meaning Having a chemical nature that is harmful to health or lethal if consumed or otherwise entering into the body in sufficient quantities. It can also mean Appearing grossly unwell; characterised by serious, potentially life-threatening compromise in the respiratory, circulatory or other body systems.
Toxic at a Glance
| Part of speech | adjective |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈtɒk.sɪk/ |
| Syllables | 2 |
| Synonyms | virulent, venomous and toxicant |
| Antonyms | nontoxic and atoxic |
| Comparative / superlative | more toxic, most toxic |
Toxic Definition (Adjective)
- Having a chemical nature that is harmful to health or lethal if consumed or otherwise entering into the body in sufficient quantities.
Tobacco smoke contains many toxic substances.
- Appearing grossly unwell; characterised by serious, potentially life-threatening compromise in the respiratory, circulatory or other body systems.
The child appeared toxic on arrival at the hospital.
- Severely negative or harmful.
a toxic environment that promoted bullying
- Of a person, hateful or strongly antipathetic.
It is not good to be around toxic people.
Synonyms of Toxic
Toxic synonyms and antonyms →Antonyms of Toxic
Toxic in a Sentence
Tobacco smoke contains many toxic substances.
The child appeared toxic on arrival at the hospital.
a toxic environment that promoted bullying
It is not good to be around toxic people.
Word Forms & Grammar
toxic (comparative more toxic, superlative most toxic)
Words That Rhyme With Toxic
Origin of Toxic
Borrowed from French toxique, from Late Latin toxicus (“poisoned”), from Latin toxicum (“poison”), from Ancient Greek τοξικόν (toxikón) [φάρμακον (phármakon)] ("poison for use on arrows"), from τοξικός (toxikós, “pertaining to arrows or archery”), from τόξον (tóxon, “bow”).
Toxic Pronunciation
Toxic is pronounced /ˈtɒk.sɪk/ and has 2 syllables, with the main stress on the first syllable (tɒk).
Questions People Ask About Toxic
What part of speech is toxic?
Toxic is an adjective.
What is another word for toxic?
You can replace toxic with words such as virulent, venomous and toxicant. See the full list of toxic synonyms and antonyms.
What are the comparative and superlative forms of toxic?
The comparative form is more toxic and the superlative form is most toxic.