venom

noun

ˈve-nəm How to pronounce venom (audio)
Definition of venomnext
1
as in poison
a substance that by chemical action can kill or injure a living thing an antidote to snake venom

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in malice
the desire to cause pain for the satisfaction of doing harm a neighborhood gossip of such venom that she was feared by all and genuinely liked by no one

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of venom However, the brown recluse and black widow spiders do have dangerous venom. — Rashad Alexander, Kansas City Star, 23 Sep. 2026 Do not apply a tourniquet, cut the wound, or try to suck out venom. — Isa Almeida, Oklahoman, 21 Sep. 2026 The venom takes effect within seconds, allowing the attacker to drag it to either its own burrow or the wasp’s. — Sean Donnelly, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2026 Kenzie required two doses of anti-venom and a lengthy hospital stay to treat the snakebite, but has since fully recovered. — Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for venom
Recent Examples of Synonyms for venom
  1. poison
  2. malice
  3. toxic
  4. hatred
  5. disease
  6. toxin
Noun
  • Bots already spread poison on the web for whichever government wants it.
    — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
  • On the floor, there is a plate with poison/chemical for rat, mop sink room.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of poison
Noun
  • In October, a Newton County grand jury indicted 43-year-old Taiesha Wilson on charges of malice murder, murder, concealing the death of another, identity theft, and more.
    — Dan Raby, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Kingston Bradley of Smyrna, Georgia, was arrested and charged with concealing the death of another and malice murder in connection with Mosley’s death.
    — Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of malice
Noun
  • In late May, about 50,000 people in Orange County were evacuated because, at a Garden Grove site operated by GKN Aerospace, tanks holding a volatile hazardous chemical called methyl methacrylate were at risk of exploding or leaking toxics.
    — Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026
  • Munoz is an independent toxicologist working in collaboration with MAHA against pesticides and toxics.
    — Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 10 July 2026
Definition of toxic
Noun
  • The immigration of people from an entirely different world, people with hatred in their hearts, has shattered that once great country.
    — Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Underneath that façade was a sociopathic white supremacist neo-Nazi filled with hatred, fantasizing about mass murder nearly every day.
    — Asal Rezaei, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of hatred
Noun
  • Depending on the species, that could mean breeding animals in captivity and releasing them, restoring habitat, managing disease, or controlling invasive species.
    — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Beeswax, honey, and pollen each possess their own particular antimicrobial and chemical properties that, taken together, repel disease and encourage helpful fungi.
    — Amanda Erickson, STAT, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of disease
Noun
  • While raw materials potentially useful for Earth life are found in abundance on Mars, they are mixed in the soil with toxins such as perchlorate, as well as salts that would make growth difficult for most organisms.
    — Charles Q. Choi, Space.com, 9 Oct. 2026
  • After the 2025 fires, there were complaints by residents that the FAIR Plan refused to test and remediate homes suffering damage by smoke, which can leave behind lead, asbestos and other toxins.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of toxin

Browse Nearby Words

venial
venom
venomous
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Cite this Entry

“Venom.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/venom. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on venom

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about venom

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