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Meaning & use

toxic

adjective·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˈtɒksɪk/
US/ˈtɑːksɪk/

Meanings

  1. adjectivecomparabletechnical

    Containing a substance that can poison people, animals or the environment.

    Grammar: Often before a noun or after be: toxic waste, the fumes are toxic.

    Patterns

    • toxic to someone
    • toxic to something

    The factory was fined for dumping toxic waste in the river.

    Some common houseplants are toxic to cats.

    The fumes from the paint can be toxic in a closed room.

  2. adjectivecomparablefigurativeinformal

    Very harmful to people's well-being or happiness, because of cruel, selfish or controlling behavior.

    Grammar: Figurative use for relationships, workplaces or habits: a toxic friendship.

    Patterns

    • toxic to someone
    • a toxic environment

    She left a toxic workplace where nobody trusted anyone.

    A toxic friendship can leave you feeling worthless.

    Constant gossip created a toxic atmosphere in the team.

  3. adjectivebefore a nounfinancebusiness

    Describing a financial asset or debt that is almost worthless and a heavy burden for whoever holds it.

    Grammar: Used with debt, loans or assets: toxic debt.

    Patterns

    • toxic debt
    • toxic assets

    The bank was crippled by toxic loans after the housing crash.

    Investors rushed to sell off their toxic assets.

    The company hid its toxic debt in a separate fund.

Word forms

comparativemore toxic
superlativemost toxic

Common combinations

toxic waste
Toxic waste must be stored in sealed drums.
toxic chemicals
The cleaner contains toxic chemicals, so wear gloves.
toxic relationship
He finally ended a toxic relationship after years of arguments.
toxic environment
Bullying makes a school a toxic environment.
highly toxic
The mushroom is highly toxic and should never be eaten.
toxic masculinity
The talk looked at how toxic masculinity affects teenage boys.

Synonyms and how they differ

poisonous
Poisonous is the plainer word for something that can kill or sicken if swallowed, while toxic also covers chemical hazards and harmful behavior.
harmful
Harmful is much weaker and can describe any damage, but toxic suggests serious, spreading damage.
venomous
Venomous is used only for animals that inject poison by biting or stinging, which toxic does not specify.
noxious
Noxious is more formal and usually describes smells or gases, where toxic is broader.

Opposites

harmlessnontoxicsafe

Word family

toxicity noun
the degree to which something is poisonous or harmful
toxin noun
a poisonous substance produced by a living thing
toxicology noun
the study of poisons
nontoxic adjective
not poisonous
detoxify verb
to remove poison from

Commonly confused: toxic or toxin? toxic or intoxicated?

toxic vs toxin

Toxin is a noun for a poison itself, while toxic is the adjective for things that contain poison.

toxic vs intoxicated

Intoxicated usually means drunk, rather than describing something harmful.

Practice

Which phrase uses toxic in its figurative sense?

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