poison
poison — noun
1. a chemical or natural material that can badly hurt or kill a living thing when s
a chemical or natural material that can badly hurt or kill a living thing when swallowed, breathed in, or absorbed.
The farmer kept rat poison in a locked box above the sink.
collocation: rat poison
Police found poison in the lemonade bottle on the kitchen table.
Doctors worked all night because the child had swallowed the poison.
poison after swallowing
In old stories, kings feared poison in their cups at dinner.
- rat poison
- deadly poison
- swallow poison
- poison in a cup
Grammar Patterns
poison in [food/drink]
poison for [animal/pest]
Usage Note
Often used for substances in food, drink, bait, or medicine. Distinguish from venom, which enters the body by a bite or sting.
Common Mistakes
2. something, such as an idea or feeling, that slowly damages people, relationships
something, such as an idea or feeling, that slowly damages people, relationships, or a situation.
Jealousy became a poison that slowly broke the two sisters apart.
figurative use with emotions
Online lies are a poison in public debate before an election.
Silence can turn into poison inside a family after a lie.
The coach said fear was poison for a young team's confidence.
be poison for [person/group]
- a poison in public life
- be poison for trust
- turn into poison
Grammar Patterns
a poison in [group/society]
be poison for [relationship/process]
Usage Note
Common in figurative statements and does not refer to a real chemical. It often names a force that spreads harm over time.
This means that different people have different tastes or preferences.
Maya loves horror movies, but Diego hates them—one man's meat is another man's poison.
Why do you dislike classical music? Remember, one man's meat is another man's poison.
what’s your poison?
idiomThis is a friendly way to ask someone what alcoholic drink they want.
The bartender smiled and asked, "What's your poison, sir?"
At the party, Tom turned to Sara and said, "What's your poison? I'm buying."
poison — verb
1. to use a toxic substance to make someone or an animal very ill, or to cause thei
to use a toxic substance to make someone or an animal very ill, or to cause their death.
Someone poisoned the village dogs during the night.
poison + person/animal directly
The spy poisoned the king and fled across the river.
Bad mushrooms poisoned two hikers after their camp dinner.
Factory waste poisoned the cows that drank from the ditch.
cause harm by contaminated source
- poison a dog
- poison the victim
- be poisoned by [substance]
- heal
means to make someone or something healthy again
Grammar Patterns
poison + person/animal
Usage Note
In sense 1, the direct object is the person or animal harmed. Distinguish from sense 2, where the direct object is the food or drink that receives the poison.
2. to secretly mix a toxic substance into what a person will eat or drink.
to secretly mix a toxic substance into what a person will eat or drink.
A thief poisoned the soup before the wedding guests arrived.
poison + food/drink
Police believe someone poisoned Maria's coffee at the station.
The cook was jailed for poisoning the wine with cleaning fluid.
poison + food/drink + with + substance
Who poisoned the cat food left outside the back door?
- poison the soup
- poison the wine
- poison food with [chemical]
- tamper with
broader; means to secretly change something, not only by adding poison
- spike
usually means to add alcohol or drugs to a drink
- lace
often informal; used for mixing a substance into food or drink
Grammar Patterns
poison + food/drink
poison + food/drink + with + substance
Usage Note
The object is the thing eaten or drunk, not the person. Distinguish from sense 1, where the poisoned person or animal is the direct object.
Common Mistakes
3. to make air, water, land, or another place dangerous by adding harmful chemicals
to make air, water, land, or another place dangerous by adding harmful chemicals or waste.
Illegal waste poisoned the river for miles below the factory.
poison + river/water source
Smoke from the fire poisoned the air inside the tunnel.
Years of mining poisoned the soil around the mountain village.
poison + land/soil
Oil from the ship poisoned coastal waters near the fishing town.
- poison the river
- poison the air
- poison the soil
- contaminate
neutral and technical; means to make something dirty or unsafe
- pollute
most common for damage to the environment
- taint
suggests an unwelcome substance or quality spreading into something
- purify
means to make something clean or safe again
Grammar Patterns
poison + air/water/soil
poison + place
Usage Note
The object is usually air, water, soil, or a place, and the harm may spread over time instead of affecting one person immediately.
4. to damage a relationship or situation so badly that it becomes full of anger, di
to damage a relationship or situation so badly that it becomes full of anger, distrust, or bitterness.
One cruel rumour poisoned the friendship between Lena and June.
poison + friendship/relationship
Years of blame poisoned family dinners at Grandpa's house.
The pay dispute poisoned relations between nurses and managers.
poison relations between groups
Constant suspicion poisoned the atmosphere in their small flat.
- poison a friendship
- poison relations
- poison the atmosphere
- mend
means to improve or repair a damaged relationship or situation
Grammar Patterns
poison + relationship/situation
poison relations between + groups
Usage Note
Used figuratively with words like friendship, relations, debate, or atmosphere. Distinguish from sense 3, which describes real physical contamination.
poison — adjective
1. able to harm or kill because poison is naturally in it, not because someone adde
able to harm or kill because poison is naturally in it, not because someone added it.
A poison plant grew beside the stream near the children's camp.
before noun in set combinations
A tiny poison frog sat on a wet green leaf.
collocation: poison frog
Soldiers wore masks against poison gas drifting over the field.
collocation: poison gas
The guide pointed out a poison plant beside the narrow path.
- poison frog
- poison gas
- poison plant
- harmless
not able to cause injury or illness
Grammar Patterns
poison gas
poison frog
poison plant
Usage Note
Mostly used before a noun in fixed combinations such as poison gas, poison frog, and poison plant. After be, poisonous is far more common in everyday English.
Common Mistakes
2. made dangerous because poison has been put on it or mixed into it.
made dangerous because poison has been put on it or mixed into it.
The hunter hid several poison arrows inside a leather case.
collocation: poison arrow
Police found poison bait near the gate of the farm.
collocation: poison bait
A poison needle was taped under the handle.
before noun with a treated object
The ranger sealed the poison bait in two metal tins.
- poison arrow
- poison bait
- poison needle
- clean
free from dangerous added substances
Grammar Patterns
poison arrow
poison bait
poison needle
Usage Note
Describes something that has had poison put on it or mixed into it, such as bait, arrows, or powder. Distinguish from adjective sense 1, which is about something naturally harmful or generally toxic.
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
Poison is the broad everyday word for a substance that can make a person or animal ill or kill them. Toxin is more scientific and is often used for harmful substances produced naturally by living things, though it can also appear in health news. Venom is a special type of poison delivered by a bite or sting, so snakes and bees have venom, not just poison. Pollutant usually refers to a harmful substance in air, water, or soil, so it overlaps most closely with verb sense 3 rather than noun sense 1. A child may swallow poison, a snake injects venom, and a factory releases pollutants.
Etymology
Poison came into English through Old French from a Latin word meaning 'drink'. In earlier use, it could refer to a drink or potion in general, but over time it narrowed to mean a harmful drink and then any harmful substance.