venomous

adjective

ven·​om·​ous ˈve-nə-məs 

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

• envenomed
• poison
• poisoned
• poisonous
• toxic

Examples of venomous in a Sentence

The cobra is a venomous snake.

a venomous attack on his character

Recent Examples on the Web

At least one of the snakes that became loose was a small, highly venomous viper. —Charna Flam, People.com, 28 Nov. 2024

These predators - who are also prey to many animals, including sharks - are equipped with venomous barbs on their tails, used defensively against potential threats. —Melissa Cristina Marquez, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024

Danny Amendola attacked his venomous Argentine tango with passion and the judges applauded his improvement. —Calie Schepp, EW.com, 30 Oct. 2024

While they have been known to bite, the bites are not toxic or venomous and do not lead to the spread of diseases, per WebMD. —Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 17 Oct. 2024

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

Kids Definition

venomous

adjective

ven·​om·​ous ˈven-ə-məs 

: having or producing venom

venomous snakes

venomously adverb

Medical Definition

venomous

adjective

ven·​om·​ous ˈven-ə-məs 

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