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perniciousness

perniciousness

9.9
Great harm that can cause death or serious damage
  • noun
  • /pərˈnɪʃəsnəs/
  • Formal
translation icon : perniciosidad
  • The perniciousness of misinformation can lead to serious consequences for society.

Examples

  • Yet somehow, he considers that a historic blow against the perniciousness of "freedom of choice," whatever that means, which, to be honest, I don't.

    Blog text (31)
  • Although Lee makes passing reference to anti-radicalism in immigration policy, in my opinion, the persistence and perniciousness

    Academic text (1999)
  • The doctor warned us about the perniciousness of smoking and its effects on health.

  • The report highlighted the perniciousness of environmental pollution on wildlife.

Synonyms

poison
vsperniciousness
94 3.5

Something that slowly harms people or a group, for example hate

is an abstract quality of causing extreme harm rather than a specific cause
toxicity
vsperniciousness
  • Specialized
39 7.2

How poisonous a substance is to people or animals

emphasizes severe harm including death rather than just poison effects
destructiveness
vsperniciousness
4 6.8

A tendency to cause damage to people or things

is stronger, implying very harmful or lethal outcomes, not just damage
dangerousness
vsperniciousness
2 6.1

The chance that something will harm people or property

is more intense, stressing extremely harmful or deadly potential rather than general danger
harmfulness
vsperniciousness
1 4.8

How much something can hurt people, animals, or things

is more intense, implying extreme or possibly fatal harm rather than general harm
deathliness
vsperniciousness
1 8.6

A quality that makes something able to kill people or animals

is broader, covering extreme harm generally and not only fatal cases
insidiousness
vsperniciousness
1 9.1

The quality of being harmful in a slow, hidden way that is hard to notice

is more about sudden or clearly serious harm rather than hidden gradual damage
noxiousness
vsperniciousness
8.9

How harmful or poisonous something is

is stronger, stressing very harmful or deadly outcomes beyond unpleasantness
balefulness
vsperniciousness
  • Formal
9.9

A look or feeling that seems threatening

is less about evil tone and more about very severe or deadly harm
malignant influence
vsperniciousness
8.2

A harmful effect that slowly damages people or groups

is about an overall very harmful state, not only one corrupting effect
malignant nature
vsperniciousness
  • Specialized
9.7

A very harmful and cruel way of being that hurts other people

focuses on broad extreme harm rather than a personal evil disposition
ruinousness
vsperniciousness
8.8

A state that is likely to cause great damage

is more about deadly or highly harmful effects rather than only structural damage
hazardousness
vsperniciousness
7.4

A situation likely to cause harm or injury

is stronger, referring to highly harmful or fatal consequences not mere risk

Antonyms

1 3.3

The state of not causing harm or danger

How Harmful

deadliness
1 6.8
perniciousness
  • Formal
9.9
harm
820 1.0
to damage
885 1.4
detriment
39 6.3
harmlessness
1 3.3

Surface Forms

Morphology

perniciousness = pernicious (transparent) = pernicious + ness

Forming the noun from the adjective 'pernicious' with the productive suffix '-ness' yields the predictable meaning 'the state or quality of being pernicious'.

Etymology

Perniciousness comes from Latin parts per- meaning 'completely' and -nic- from a word for 'kill' or 'destruction'. That's why perniciousness describes something that is very harmful or deadly.