ISEE/SSAT Vocabulary BuilderWordsPpernicious
ISEE/SSAThard
pernicious
Meaning: having a harmful effect, especially gradually
pernicious in a sentence
How pernicious is used in real sentences:
The pernicious rumor slowly destroyed her reputation.
Rumors had a pernicious effect on the team's trust.
“That failure, Venn argued, revealed the salon's pernicious influence.”
— from the passage The Velvet Rebellion
“The inquiry initially centered on Captain Varo, whose sentries had been remiss in recording visitors; their neglected ledger enabled rumors whose pernicious spread steadily eroded public trust.”
— from the passage The Cipher at Court
“Her records showed that pernicious dredging had deepened currents and stripped sand from the beach season after season.”
— from the passage The Altered Shore
Synonyms for pernicious
Other words for pernicious — harmful, destructive and ruinous — carry the same meaning.
- harmful
- destructive
- ruinous
Antonyms of pernicious
Words that mean the opposite of pernicious:
- benign
- harmless
- beneficial
Where it comes from
From Latin per- 'through' + nex 'death'
Memory hook
PERNICIOUS — PER-NICIOus = killing through, slow harm.
Practice pernicious in the app