1
Core quality
Having a seriously harmful effect, especially one that develops gradually or is not immediately obvious.
Example
The rumour had a pernicious effect on public trust.
pernicious
/pəˈnɪʃəs/ · pur-NISH-usadjective
Having a seriously harmful effect, especially one that develops gradually or is not immediately obvious.
Use pernicious to express this relationship precisely: having a seriously harmful effect, especially one that develops gradually or is not immediately obvious.
What pernicious Really Means
The word becomes easier to use when its closely related senses are separated and compared.
2
Attributive or predicative use
Use this adjective before a suitable noun or after a linking verb such as be or seem.
Example
Lead exposure is particularly pernicious in young children.
3
Analytical distinction
Choose it when this exact descriptive quality matters; a related word may overlap without conveying the same trait.
Example
The policy's most pernicious consequences emerged slowly.
Use pernicious Naturally
Notice how the surrounding noun or clause reveals the exact shade of meaning.
The rumour had a pernicious effect on public trust.
Lead exposure is particularly pernicious in young children.
The policy's most pernicious consequences emerged slowly.
Precision Matters
Pernicious overlaps with several common words, but each carries a different emphasis.
pernicious
vs.Means having a seriously harmful effect, especially one that develops gradually or is not immediately obvious.
innocuous
Means harmless or unlikely to cause offence or damage.
pernicious
vs.Means having a seriously harmful effect, especially one that develops gradually or is not immediately obvious.
beneficially
Means in a way that produces a helpful, favourable, or advantageous result.
pernicious
vs.Means having a seriously harmful effect, especially one that develops gradually or is not immediately obvious.
remedial
Means intended to correct a weakness, repair harm, or improve a deficient condition.
pernicious
vs.Means having a seriously harmful effect, especially one that develops gradually or is not immediately obvious.
insidious
Means gradually and subtly harmful, often developing unnoticed before its effects become severe.
Test pernicious in Context
The influence causes serious harm that accumulates gradually.
1
The seemingly minor bias had a ___ influence, gradually distorting decisions across the entire institution.