toxic
English
Etymology
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”).
Pronunciation
- (UK) IPA(key): /ˈtɒk.sɪk/
Audio (Southern England): (file)
- (cot–caught merger) IPA(key): /ˈtɑk.sɪk/
- Rhymes: -ɒksɪk
Adjective
toxic (comparative more toxic, superlative most toxic)
- (toxicology, pharmacology) Having a chemical nature that is harmful to health or lethal if consumed or otherwise entering into the body in sufficient quantities.
- 2019 December 8, Hannah Beech, Ryn Jirenuwat, “The Price of Recycling Old Laptops: Toxic Fumes in Thailand’s Lungs”, in New York Times[1]:
- If some types of electronic waste aren’t incinerated at a high enough temperature, dioxins, which can cause cancer and developmental problems, infiltrate the food supply. Without proper safeguarding, toxic heavy metals seep into the soil and groundwater.
- (medicine) 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.
- (figurative) Severely negative or harmful.
- a toxic environment that promoted bullying
- (figurative, of a person) Hateful or strongly antipathetic.
- It is not good to be around toxic people.
- 2020 April 23, Cal Newport, “'Expert Twitter' Only Goes So Far. Bring Back Blogs”, in Wired[2]:
- Though Twitter is still overrun with toxic anger and fear-based nonsense (now more than ever), it is also, in one crucial way, beginning to play an important role in our response to the pandemic.
- 2024 April 29, Jon Henley, “Surreal claims, lawfare and abuse: toxic politics in Spain reflect the new Europe”, in The Guardian[3], →ISSN:
- A veteran UN diplomat, Kaag, 62, said the environment for politicians in the Netherlands had become “toxic” as she and colleagues faced a continual barrage of “hate, intimidation and threats” and often needed tight police security.
Derived terms
- adrenotoxic
- aerotoxic
- agrotoxic
- angiotoxic
- antitoxic
- atoxic
- autotoxic
- bacteriotoxic
- biotoxic
- cancerotoxic
- cardiotoxic
- chemotoxic
- chondrotoxic
- chronotoxic
- ciliotoxic
- coagulotoxic
- cryotoxic
- cytotoxic
- dermatotoxic
- dermatoxic
- ecotoxic
- embryotoxic
- endotoxic
- entomotoxic
- equitoxic
- excitotoxic
- exotoxic
- fertotoxic
- fetotoxic
- foetotoxic
- fungitoxic
- gametotoxic
- gastrotoxic
- genotoxic
- glucolipotoxic
- glucotoxic
- glycotoxic
- gonadotoxic
- hematotoxic
- hemotoxic
- hepatotoxic
- histotoxic
- hypertoxic
- hypotoxic
- ichthyosarcotoxic
- ichthyotoxic
- immunotoxic
- leucotoxic
- leukotoxic
- lipotoxic
- lymphotoxic
- maternotoxic
- mechanotoxic
- mycotoxic
- myelotoxic
- myotoxic
- mytilotoxine
- nanotoxic
- necrotoxic
- nematotoxic
- nephrotoxic
- neurotoxic
- nontoxic
- oculotoxic
- olfactotoxic
- organotoxic
- osmotoxic
- osteotoxic
- ototoxic
- ovotoxic
- phlebotoxic
- photodermatotoxicity
- phototoxic
- phytotoxic
- pneumotoxic
- polytoxic
- proteotoxic
- psychotoxic
- radiotoxic
- reprotoxic
- retinotoxic
- rhizotoxic
- ribotoxic
- semitoxic
- spermatotoxic
- splenotoxic
- subtoxic
- supertoxic
- thymotoxic
- thyrotoxic
- toxically
- toxic asset
- toxicate
- toxication
- toxic debt
- toxicemia
- toxic femininity
- toxic hellstew
- toxicity
- toxic masculinity
- toxic megacolon
- toxicness
- toxicoid
- toxic oil syndrome
- toxicosis
- toxics
- toxic shock syndrome
- toxic syndrome
- toxic waste
- toxidrome
- toxify
- tubulotoxic
- urotoxic
- vasculotoxic
- vestibulotoxic
- xenotoxic
- zootoxic
Related terms
- toxin (noun)
- intoxicate
- toxicant
Translations
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Further reading
- “toxic”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
- Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “toxic”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
Interlingua
Adjective
toxic (comparative plus toxic, superlative le plus toxic)
- toxic (chemically noxious to health)
Related terms
Romanian
Etymology
Borrowed from French toxique, Latin toxicus, from Ancient Greek τοξικόν (toxikón). See also toapsec.
Pronunciation
Adjective
toxic m or n (feminine singular toxică, masculine plural toxici, feminine and neuter plural toxice)
- toxic
- Synonyms: otrăvicios, otrăvitor
Declension
Related terms
- English terms borrowed from French
- English terms derived from French
- English terms derived from Late Latin
- English terms derived from Latin
- English terms derived from Ancient Greek
- English 2-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio pronunciation
- Rhymes:English/ɒksɪk
- Rhymes:English/ɒksɪk/2 syllables
- English lemmas
- English adjectives
- en:Toxicology
- en:Pharmaceutical drugs
- English terms with usage examples
- English terms with quotations
- en:Medicine
- en:Personality
- Interlingua lemmas
- Interlingua adjectives
- Romanian terms borrowed from French
- Romanian terms derived from French
- Romanian terms borrowed from Latin
- Romanian terms derived from Latin
- Romanian terms derived from Ancient Greek
- Romanian terms with IPA pronunciation
- Romanian lemmas
- Romanian adjectives