poisoned

poisoned — verb

1. to give a harmful substance to a living creature, causing its death or severe il

1.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to give a harmful substance to a living creature, causing its death or severe illness

Example

A village stray dog was poisoned after eating meat left near the farms.

passive structure: was poisoned + by [agent or cause]

Yael's cat was poisoned by a neighbor who disliked it scratching in the garden.

Common collocations
  • poisoned with arsenic
  • poisoned by a rival
  • slowly poisoned
  • accidentally poisoned
  • deliberately poisoned
Synonyms
  • kill

    a general term; 'poison' specifies the method used

  • envenom

    rare, mostly literary or technical; 'poison' is the everyday word

Grammar Patterns

poison + person/animal

passive: be/get poisoned + by [agent]

Usage Note

Often appears in the passive voice (was poisoned) when the focus is on the victim rather than the person who gave the poison.

Common Mistakes

She poisoned the food to kill him' (correct but mixes sense 1 and 2).
She poisoned him with arsenic' (sense 1, person as direct object) vs. 'She poisoned the soup' (sense 2, food as direct object).
Sense 1 takes a person or animal as the direct object; sense 2 takes food or drink.

2. to deliberately add a harmful substance to food or beverages intended for anothe

2.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to deliberately add a harmful substance to food or beverages intended for another person

Example

Faisal's younger brother tried to poison the family's dinner after a heated argument.

intentional act: try to poison + [food/drink]

In the crime novel, someone poisoned the drinks at a wedding party.

Common collocations
  • poison the food
  • poison the water
  • poison the wine
  • poison the meal
  • poison the drink
Synonyms
  • laced

    informal, often suggests secretly adding a substance; 'poisoned' is neutral and more serious

  • doctored

    informal, can apply to any tampering; 'poisoned' specifically means adding a harmful substance

Grammar Patterns

poison + [food/drink]

try/have to poison + [food/drink]

Usage Note

Distinct from sense 1 — this sense focuses on the act of contaminating food or drink, not on the resulting harm to a person or animal. The direct object is always food or liquid.

Common Mistakes

He poisoned the river' (should be sense 3: environmental contamination).
He poisoned his wife's coffee' (sense 2: adding poison to a drink).
Sense 2 only takes food or drink as the direct object.

3. to release dangerous chemicals or waste into the air, water, or soil, making it

3.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to release dangerous chemicals or waste into the air, water, or soil, making it unsafe

Example

The chemical plant has been poisoning the local river for over twenty years.

environmental context: poison + [river/water/soil]

Layla's research showed how illegal mining operations poison the surrounding soil.

Common collocations
  • poison the river
  • poison the soil
  • poison the air
  • poison the water supply
  • poisoned with chemicals
Synonyms
  • contaminate

    less dramatic, can be accidental or gradual; 'poison' sounds more intentional and dangerous

  • pollute

    general and widely used; 'poison' suggests more immediate harm

  • taint

    suggests spoiling rather than killing; 'poison' implies a deadly effect

Antonyms
  • purify

    to remove harmful substances; the opposite of contaminating

  • cleanse

    to make clean again after contamination

Grammar Patterns

poison + [water/air/soil/river]

poison + [area] + with + [chemical/waste]

Usage Note

Typically used for large-scale environmental or public health contexts. The direct object is always a location or natural resource — never a person or animal.

Common Mistakes

The factory poisoned the workers' (should be sense 1).
The factory poisoned the river with chemical waste' (sense 3).
Sense 3's object is always environmental (water, soil, air), not a living creature.

4. to gradually damage a relationship, friendship, or enjoyable situation, making i

4.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to gradually damage a relationship, friendship, or enjoyable situation, making it become unpleasant or hostile

Example

Constant gossip at the office slowly poisoned the relationship between the two colleagues.

figurative use: poison + [relationship/atmosphere]

Putri felt that her parents' financial worries had poisoned the atmosphere at home.

Common collocations
  • poison the relationship
  • poison the atmosphere
  • poison the mood
  • poison the friendship
  • poison people's minds
Synonyms
  • spoil

    broader, can apply to any pleasant thing; 'poison' suggests a slower, more destructive process

  • sour

    suggests turning a good relationship bitter; 'poison' is stronger and implies lasting damage

  • undermine

    focuses on weakening rather than ruining; 'poison' implies active corruption

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

poison + [abstract noun: relationship/atmosphere/mood/friendship/mind]

Usage Note

Used figuratively — the direct object is always an abstract concept (relationship, atmosphere, mood, mind) rather than a living thing or substance. Frequently appears with adverbs like slowly, gradually, further.

Common Mistakes

His comments poisoned me' (sense 4 cannot take a person as direct object).
His comments poisoned the mood at the meeting.
Sense 4 only takes abstract nouns.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/4

All four verbs describe damaging a relationship or situation, but they differ in intensity and mechanism. 'Poison' (this sense) suggests a slow, corrosive process — like a toxic substance spreading through a body — that eventually destroys the entire relationship or atmosphere. 'Spoil' is the broadest term: a spoiled party is less enjoyable but not necessarily ruined forever. 'Sour' focuses on turning something sweet into something bitter, often used for moods or friendships that grow resentful over time ('their friendship soured after the disagreement'). 'Undermine' is about gradual weakening rather than outright destruction — for example, gossip can undermine trust without fully poisoning the relationship. Use 'poison' when the damage feels deep, irreversible, or actively hostile, and 'spoil' or 'sour' for milder, more passive deterioration.

poison ↗spoil ↗sour ↗undermine ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • poison
  • chemical waste
  • pesticides
  • arsenic
  • contamination

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'poison' comes from Old French 'poison' (a drink, especially a medicinal drink), which in turn comes from Latin 'potionem' (a drink, a potion). Over time, the meaning shifted from 'a drink' to 'a deadly drink' — the same Latin root also gave us 'potion'. The verb form 'to poison' appeared in English around the 1300s, originally meaning 'to give a poisonous drink to someone'.