venomous

adjective

ven·​om·​ous ˈve-nə-məs How to pronounce venomous (audio)
Synonyms of venomousnext
1
: producing venom in a specialized gland and capable of inflicting injury or death
venomous snakes
2
: full of venom: such as
a
: poisonous, envenomed
b
: noxious, pernicious
expose a venomous dope ring—Don Porter
c
: spiteful, malevolent
venomous criticism
venomously adverb
venomousness noun

Synonyms

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Examples of venomous in a Sentence

The cobra is a venomous snake. a venomous attack on his character
Recent Examples on the Web Pit vipers are a subfamily of venomous snakes that have heat-sensing organs in between their eyes and nose, according to the American Museum of Natural History. —Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2024 They’ve been observed carrying venomous Portuguese man o’ war tentacles when hunting and use scare tactics to frighten and trick prey. —Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024 The Timber Rattlesnake is the other venomous snake found in the area. —Natalie Wallington, Kansas City Star, 29 Mar. 2024 Gila monsters are venomous lizards native to the southwestern United States and Mexico, recognizable by their heavy bodies and beadlike scales in black and yellow or pink. —Scott Travers, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024 Despite being nested within the same branch of the tree of life, legless, lengthy, and slithering snakes–capable of unhinging their jaws and delivering a venomous bite–stand out from their reptilian clade-mates. —Popular Science, 22 Feb. 2024 Monroe | Oconto — Rusk | Sauk — Wood Oneida County: Justin O. Schmidt (1947-2023) Entomologist Born in Rhinelander, Justin Schmidt cultivated pop-culture fame for his study of bees and other venomous insects, and he's authored numerous studies and books on the topic. —Alex Groth, Journal Sentinel, 21 Feb. 2024 Without predators, wildlife here has not needed to develop venomous powers and toxic deterrents. —Catherine Fairweather, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Mar. 2024 And as for the gloriously Eurotrash score playing over every other scene of venomous nun-on-nun attacks and slow-dread strolls down shadowy passageways, Goblin may want to contact their lawyers. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 20 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'venomous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English venimous, borrowed from Anglo-French venimus, venimous, from venim venom entry 1 + -us, -ous -ous

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of venomous was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near venomous

venomosalivary

venomous

venomsome

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Venomous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/venomous. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.

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Kids Definition

venomous

adjective
ven·​om·​ous ˈven-ə-məs How to pronounce venomous (audio)
: having or producing venom
venomous snakes
venomously adverb

Medical Definition

venomous

adjective
ven·​om·​ous ˈven-ə-məs How to pronounce venomous (audio)
1
: poisonous
2
: producing venom in a specialized gland and capable of inflicting injury or death
the vipers, pit vipers, and coral snakes are venomous

More from Merriam-Webster on venomous

Nglish: Translation of venomous for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of venomous for Arabic Speakers

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