toxic

Definitions

tox (poison) + -ic (having the nature of) = "having the nature of poison," i.e. poisonous. The literal sense (toxic gas) extends by metaphor to anything that harms you from the inside: a toxic relationship poisons your life the way a toxic chemical poisons your body.

Why It Means This

Toxic earned a second life in the 2010s. The image of poison — something that looks fine on the surface but quietly damages you — proved perfect for describing people, jobs, and habits. So "toxic relationship" and "toxic workplace" went mainstream, and in 2018 Oxford named "toxic" its word of the year. Both senses share one core picture: harm working on you from the inside out.

Common Collocations

• 1.toxic waste有毒废物
• 2.toxic relationship有害关系
• 3.toxic fumes有毒烟雾
• 4.toxic environment恶劣环境
• 5.toxic chemicals有毒化学品
• 6.highly toxic毒性很强的

Example Sentences

• 1.

  The factory was dumping toxic chemicals into the river.

• 2.

  Breathing the toxic fumes for hours made the workers sick.

• 3.

  She finally left the toxic relationship that had drained her for years.

• 4.

  Constant criticism created a toxic atmosphere in the office.

Synonym Comparison