entry
pernicious
/pərˈnɪʃəs/Causing harm in a subtle, destructive way.
From Latin per (through) + Latin nex / necis (violent death).
from Old French pernicios (13c., Modern French pernicieux ) and directly
+1 more sourcefrom Old French pernicios (13c., Modern French pernicieux ) and directly
+1 more sourcefrom Old French pernicios (13c., Modern French pernicieux ) and directly
+1 more sourcefrom Old French pernicios (13c., Modern French pernicieux ) and directly
+1 more sourceWord Ancestry
from Old French pernicios (13c., Modern French pernicieux ) and directly
+1 more sourcefrom Old French pernicios (13c., Modern French pernicieux ) and directly
+1 more sourcefrom Old French pernicios (13c., Modern French pernicieux ) and directly
+1 more sourcefrom Old French pernicios (13c., Modern French pernicieux ) and directly
+1 more sourceThis is one of those words that sounds like it ought to wear a black cloak. In Latin, it was built from per, “through” or “completely,” plus nex, “slaughter” — so the original idea was destruction that runs all the way through something, not just a bruise on the surface. That’s why it sits in the same family as innocent, noxious, and nocent: all those words are playing on the old Latin idea of harm, injury, and death. English picked it up through Old French pernicios in the 13th century, and by the 1500s it was being used for things that didn’t just hurt you once, but worked like a slow poison. If you want to remember it, think of a harm so thorough it doesn’t merely strike — it seeps.
The Story
This is one of those words that sounds like it ought to wear a black cloak. In Latin, it was built from per, “through” or “completely,” plus nex, “slaughter” — so the original idea was destruction that runs all the way through something, not just a bruise on the surface. That’s why it sits in the same family as innocent, noxious, and nocent: all those words are playing on the old Latin idea of harm, injury, and death. English picked it up through Old French pernicios in the 13th century, and by the 1500s it was being used for things that didn’t just hurt you once, but worked like a slow poison. If you want to remember it, think of a harm so thorough it doesn’t merely strike — it seeps.
Modern Usage
Very harmful, bad, or messed up; often used hyperbolically in informal speech.
Popularized by: internet and informal Urban Dictionary usage
Notable References
- Urban Dictionary examples describing something that 'really messes you up'
Kin & Kindred
From 'per'·through; completely; by means of
Derived Terms
English words from this root
From 'nex / necis'·violent death; slaughter; killing
Derived Terms
English words from this root