toxic

adjective

SayTOK-sikUS/ˈtɑk.sɪk/UK/ˈtɒk.sɪk/

4 meanings of toxic

1
adjective
Able to harm or kill you if it gets into the body in large enough amounts.
Like poison that can make you very sick if it gets inside you.
These cleaning fluids are toxic, so keep them away from kids.
The factory dumped toxic waste into the river.
Similarpoisonous, venomous
Oppositeharmless, nontoxic, safe, innocuous
Note
2
adjectivefiguratively
Very harmful or bad for the people or things involved.
Like something rotten that slowly spoils everything around it.
Years of debt created a toxic situation for the whole family.
Constant blame made the office a toxic place to work.
Similarpoisonous, harmful, damaging, destructive, noxious
Oppositebeneficial, healthy
Note
3
adjectivefiguratively
Full of hate or cruelty that hurts the people around you.
Like a friend who only ever makes you feel small and unhappy.
She finally left her toxic boyfriend after years of insults.
The team fell apart because of one toxic player.
Similarpoisonous, hateful, venomous, spiteful, malicious
Oppositehealthy, friendly, supportive
Note
4
adjective
Looking very sick, as if the body's main systems are starting to fail.
The patient looked toxic, pale and barely able to breathe.
By morning the boy seemed toxic and was rushed to intensive care.
Note

Practice

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Origin

It came from French toxique, going back to Latin and Greek words for poison. The Greek root meant poison put on arrows, from the word for 'bow'.