Word: pernicious (adjective)

Associations

"Pernicious" means something very harmful or dangerous, often in a way that is not obvious at first. It describes things that cause damage slowly or secretly.

• The pernicious effects of smoking can lead to serious health problems. Here, "pernicious" shows that smoking is very harmful but the damage happens over time.
• Gossip can have a pernicious influence on friendships. This means gossip can quietly destroy relationships.
• The pernicious weed spread quickly and harmed the crops. It means the weed caused serious damage.

Synonym: "harmful" is a common synonym. The difference is "pernicious" often implies harm that is subtle, gradual, or hidden, while "harmful" can be more general and obvious.

Substitution

You can replace "pernicious" with:

• harmful (less strong, more general)
• destructive (more physical damage)
• damaging (general harm)
• insidious (harm that spreads secretly, similar to pernicious but often with a secret or sneaky idea)

Each substitute changes the tone or emphasis slightly.

Deconstruction

• Root: from Latin "perniciosus," meaning "destructive" or "ruinous."
• Prefix "per-" means "through" or "thoroughly."
• The root "necare" in Latin means "to kill." So, "pernicious" literally means "thoroughly killing" or causing ruin.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a situation where something harmful is not obvious at first but becomes dangerous over time?
• Have you seen a pernicious habit or behavior in your life or in stories?
• Why do you think people sometimes don’t notice pernicious effects until it’s too late?