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Definitions

pernicious

[per-nish-uhs] / pərˈnɪʃ əs /


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“In an environment where you’re fighting for a promotion … It’s just a further incentive to agents to engage in this kind of activity. So it’s pernicious on multiple levels.”

From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026

The feisty heroine is Iris Hawkins, who, in the course of a tentative love affair with a nerdy engineer named Geoffrey Hale, discovers the pernicious designs of a secret order.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

But there are also much more pernicious problems.

From Slate • Mar. 1, 2026

But if you use them as a lifestyle crutch, they can be pernicious.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 21, 2026

The reasoning behind the rule is not pernicious: the lawmakers presumed that a prison visit would negatively affect the sensitive psyches of children.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela