pernicious
adjective
[ pəˈnɪʃəs ]
• having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way.
• "the pernicious influences of the mass media"
Similar:
harmful,
damaging,
destructive,
injurious,
hurtful,
detrimental,
deleterious,
dangerous,
adverse,
inimical,
unhealthy,
unfavourable,
bad,
evil,
baleful,
wicked,
malign,
malevolent,
malignant,
noxious,
poisonous,
cancerous,
corrupting,
ruinous,
deadly,
lethal,
fatal,
malefic,
maleficent,
pestilent,
pestilential,
baneful,
pestiferous,
Origin:
late Middle English: from Latin perniciosus ‘destructive’, from pernicies ‘ruin’, based on nex, nec- ‘death’.
