Pernicious
/pərˈnɪʃ.əs/noun
Having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way.
Did you know?Pernicious comes from Latin roots tied to destruction, and in early English it often meant not just harmful, but actively ruinous or fatal.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
perniciosus
“destructive, ruinous, deadly”
Latin
Latin
pernicies
“destruction, ruin, death”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*nek-
“to die, death”
Middle English
English
pernicious
“destructive, deadly, harmful”
Modern English
English
pernicious
“harmful in a gradual or subtle way”
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