toxic
/ˈtɒksɪk/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈtɑːksɪk/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈtäk-sik/ (ame, mw)
toxic — adjective
- toxicpositive
- more toxiccomparative
- most toxicsuperlative
1. containing poison or harmful chemicals that can make people, animals, or plants
containing poison or harmful chemicals that can make people, animals, or plants ill or cause death if swallowed, breathed in, or touched.
Factory workers must wear protective masks when handling toxic chemicals.
collocation: toxic chemicals / toxic fumes / toxic waste
The river became toxic after the factory dumped waste into it.
Some types of mould release toxic spores that can damage your lungs.
Min accidentally swallowed a toxic cleaning liquid and had to go to hospital.
文法句型
toxic + noun
be + toxic
用法筆記
Frequently used attributively before nouns describing harmful substances: toxic waste, toxic fumes, toxic chemicals.
常見錯誤
2. describes words, actions, or a person's character as extremely unkind, cruel, or
describes words, actions, or a person's character as extremely unkind, cruel, or deliberately hurtful to others.
Harper's toxic remarks made everyone in the office feel anxious and worthless.
collocation: toxic remarks / toxic comments / toxic behaviour
The coach's toxic behaviour toward the younger players finally got him fired.
Bilal ended the friendship after years of toxic treatment from his best friend.
Anjali refused to accept her colleague's toxic comments and complained to the manager.
- kind
describes warm, considerate behaviour
- supportive
specifically about offering help and encouragement
文法句型
toxic + noun (remarks, behaviour, person)
be + toxic
用法筆記
Commonly used in informal contexts about interpersonal behaviour. Subject is typically a person, their words (remarks, comments), or treatment of others.
常見錯誤
3. describes a relationship, workplace, or social setting where ongoing negative pa
describes a relationship, workplace, or social setting where ongoing negative patterns gradually damage a person's emotional well-being.
Luca finally left the toxic environment of his old workplace last month.
collocation: toxic environment / toxic workplace / toxic relationship
Maja ended her two-year relationship with Dario when he saw how toxic it had become.
collocation: toxic relationship
Nellie realised her friendship group had become toxic and decided to leave.
Growing up in a toxic home affected Dewi's mental health well into adulthood.
- unhealthy
less intense, describes a negative dynamic without implying deliberate harm
- destructive
emphasises the damage being caused
- abusive
stronger, implies serious mistreatment rather than general negativity
文法句型
toxic + noun (relationship, environment, culture)
become + toxic
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 2 (CRUEL BEHAVIOR): sense 2 targets a person's character or words; this sense targets the overall atmosphere or system (workplace, family, culture) rather than an individual's actions.
常見錯誤
4. describes loans, investments, or debts that have become so risky or worthless th
describes loans, investments, or debts that have become so risky or worthless that they cannot be easily sold or recovered.
The bank lost billions on toxic mortgage loans during the financial crisis.
collocation: toxic debt / toxic assets / toxic loans
Constanza warned investors against buying toxic debt from struggling banks.
Regulators stepped in to help banks remove toxic assets from their books.
When the housing market crashed, many once-safe investments turned toxic overnight.
- worthless
broader term; not restricted to finance
- non-performing
formal financial term for loans not being repaid
文法句型
toxic + noun (assets, debt, loans)
用法筆記
Restricted to financial contexts. Most commonly appears in the noun phrases 'toxic assets' and 'toxic debt.' Frequently used in past-tense reporting of financial crises.
常見錯誤
toxic — noun
1. a poisonous chemical or other harmful material, especially one that pollutes the
a poisonous chemical or other harmful material, especially one that pollutes the air, water, or soil.
Local environmental agencies test drinking water for dangerous toxics each month.
plural noun: toxics
The cleanup crew removed containers filled with toxic waste from the abandoned factory.
Scientists warned that the toxic had already spread into the nearby groundwater.
New laws require companies to report how much toxic material they release into the air.
- poison
more common in everyday language; 'toxic' sounds more technical
- contaminant
broader term for any impurity, not necessarily poisonous
文法句型
the + toxic
plural: toxics
用法筆記
As a noun, 'toxic' is less common than the adjective form and appears mainly in environmental or industrial safety writing. The plural 'toxics' is used for multiple types of poisonous substances.
常見錯誤
toxic — combining form
1. a prefix meaning 'relating to poison or toxicity,' used to form scientific and m
a prefix meaning 'relating to poison or toxicity,' used to form scientific and medical compound words.
Dr. Kwame Mwangi studied the toxicology of pesticides used on cocoa farms in Ghana.
compound: toxicology
The mining company hired a toxicologist to test water samples from the nearby river.
compound: toxicologist
After three workers collapsed at the paint factory, doctors ran a toxicology screen.
Isabela and her team published a toxicology report linking the fish deaths to industrial runoff.
文法句型
toxic- + noun suffix
用法筆記
The combining form 'toxic-' is not a standalone word. It attaches to suffixes (-ology, -ologist, -osis) to form technical terms. Learners at intermediate levels should focus on the adjective and noun uses instead.