pernicious

/pəˈnɪʃəs/adj
High School
1

Causing much harm in a subtle way.

2

Causing death or injury; deadly.

3

Insidiously villainous: intending to cause harm, especially in a subtle way.

Thesaurus

Sound Patterns & Rhymes

Alliteration

Words starting with the same consonant sound — used in poetry and prose to create rhythm, emphasis, and memorable phrasing (e.g. “Peter Piper picked”)

pacpadpaepahpakpalpampanpaopas

Assonance

Words sharing similar vowel sounds regardless of starting letter — creates internal melody in writing

bibbicbigbilbinbipbisbitbuicid

Consonance

Words sharing similar consonant sound patterns — adds texture and cohesion to writing

pushshepshipshoppushysharpsheepoptionpolishpusher

Featured in Literature

Gulliver's TravelsUsed in Gulliver's Travels

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