poisoned

poisoned — verb

1. to give a harmful substance to a living creature, causing its death or severe il

1.動詞及物B1
釋義

to give a harmful substance to a living creature, causing its death or severe illness

例句

A village stray dog was poisoned after eating meat left near the farms.

passive structure: was poisoned + by [agent or cause]

Yael's cat was poisoned by a neighbor who disliked it scratching in the garden.

同義詞
  • kill

    a general term; 'poison' specifies the method used

  • envenom

    rare, mostly literary or technical; 'poison' is the everyday word

文法句型

poison + person/animal

passive: be/get poisoned + by [agent]

用法筆記

Often appears in the passive voice (was poisoned) when the focus is on the victim rather than the person who gave the poison.

常見錯誤

❌She poisoned the food to kill him' (correct but mixes sense 1 and 2).
✅She poisoned him with arsenic' (sense 1, person as direct object) vs. 'She poisoned the soup' (sense 2, food as direct object).
💡Sense 1 takes a person or animal as the direct object; sense 2 takes food or drink.

2. to deliberately add a harmful substance to food or beverages intended for anothe

2.動詞及物B1
釋義

to deliberately add a harmful substance to food or beverages intended for another person

例句

Faisal's younger brother tried to poison the family's dinner after a heated argument.

intentional act: try to poison + [food/drink]

In the crime novel, someone poisoned the drinks at a wedding party.

同義詞
  • laced

    informal, often suggests secretly adding a substance; 'poisoned' is neutral and more serious

  • doctored

    informal, can apply to any tampering; 'poisoned' specifically means adding a harmful substance

文法句型

poison + [food/drink]

try/have to poison + [food/drink]

用法筆記

Distinct from sense 1 — this sense focuses on the act of contaminating food or drink, not on the resulting harm to a person or animal. The direct object is always food or liquid.

常見錯誤

❌He poisoned the river' (should be sense 3: environmental contamination).
✅He poisoned his wife's coffee' (sense 2: adding poison to a drink).
💡Sense 2 only takes food or drink as the direct object.

3. to release dangerous chemicals or waste into the air, water, or soil, making it

3.動詞及物B1
釋義

to release dangerous chemicals or waste into the air, water, or soil, making it unsafe

例句

The chemical plant has been poisoning the local river for over twenty years.

environmental context: poison + [river/water/soil]

Layla's research showed how illegal mining operations poison the surrounding soil.

同義詞
  • contaminate

    less dramatic, can be accidental or gradual; 'poison' sounds more intentional and dangerous

  • pollute

    general and widely used; 'poison' suggests more immediate harm

  • taint

    suggests spoiling rather than killing; 'poison' implies a deadly effect

反義詞
  • purify

    to remove harmful substances; the opposite of contaminating

  • cleanse

    to make clean again after contamination

文法句型

poison + [water/air/soil/river]

poison + [area] + with + [chemical/waste]

用法筆記

Typically used for large-scale environmental or public health contexts. The direct object is always a location or natural resource — never a person or animal.

常見錯誤

❌The factory poisoned the workers' (should be sense 1).
✅The factory poisoned the river with chemical waste' (sense 3).
💡Sense 3's object is always environmental (water, soil, air), not a living creature.

4. to gradually damage a relationship, friendship, or enjoyable situation, making i

4.動詞及物B2
釋義

to gradually damage a relationship, friendship, or enjoyable situation, making it become unpleasant or hostile

例句

Constant gossip at the office slowly poisoned the relationship between the two colleagues.

figurative use: poison + [relationship/atmosphere]

Putri felt that her parents' financial worries had poisoned the atmosphere at home.

同義詞
  • spoil

    broader, can apply to any pleasant thing; 'poison' suggests a slower, more destructive process

  • sour

    suggests turning a good relationship bitter; 'poison' is stronger and implies lasting damage

  • undermine

    focuses on weakening rather than ruining; 'poison' implies active corruption

反義詞

文法句型

poison + [abstract noun: relationship/atmosphere/mood/friendship/mind]

用法筆記

Used figuratively — the direct object is always an abstract concept (relationship, atmosphere, mood, mind) rather than a living thing or substance. Frequently appears with adverbs like slowly, gradually, further.

常見錯誤

❌His comments poisoned me' (sense 4 cannot take a person as direct object).
✅His comments poisoned the mood at the meeting.
💡Sense 4 only takes abstract nouns.