venom

1 of 2

noun

ven·​om ˈve-nəm How to pronounce venom (audio)
Synonyms of venomnext
1
: a toxic substance produced by some animals (such as snakes, scorpions, or bees) that is injected into prey or an enemy chiefly by biting or stinging and has an injurious or lethal effect
broadly : a substance that is poisonous
2
: a spiteful malicious feeling or state of mind : extreme ill will : malevolence

venom

2 of 2

verb

venomed; venoming; venoms

Examples of venom in a Sentence

Noun She spoke of him with venom in her voice. He spewed venom against his rival.
Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
If bitten by a rattlesnake, victims should stay calm, limit movement, call 911 and seek emergency medical attention, avoiding myths such as sucking out the venom or applying ice. Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2026 Scorpions with long, slender claws need to hold onto a wrestling, fighting prey for longer to give the venom from their stings time to start working. Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 1 May 2026 Hence, iron likely provides the structural integrity needed to hold struggling prey long enough for the venom to take effect. Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 28 Apr. 2026 Movement can help venom spread through the body. Cody Godwin, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for venom

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English venim, borrowed from Anglo-French venim, venyn, going back to Vulgar Latin *venīmen, re-formation of Latin venēnum "magical herb, poison," going back to *wenes-no-m, from *wenes- (whence vener-, venus "sexual desire, qualities exciting desire, charm") + *-no-, instrumental suffix — more at venus

Note: In the sense "poison" Latin venēnum is perhaps an avoidance euphemism, a word meaning "magical charm" being transferred to something toxic, and hence dangerous, to avoid saying the actual word. Compare Old High German gift "gift, magical drink," Modern German Gift "poison."

Verb

Middle English venimen, borrowed from Anglo-French venimer, verbal derivative of venim venom entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of venom was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Venom.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/venom. Accessed 3 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

venom

noun
ven·​om
ˈven-əm
1
: poison produced by some animals (as a snake, scorpion, or bee) and passed to a victim usually by biting or stinging
2

Medical Definition

venom

noun
ven·​om ˈven-əm How to pronounce venom (audio)
: a toxic substance produced by some animals (as snakes, scorpions, or bees) that is injected into prey or an enemy chiefly by biting or stinging and has an injurious or lethal effect
broadly : a substance that is poisonous

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