Pernicious
hardper-NISH-us
adjective
Definition
Having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way
Examples
“The pernicious effects of the policy became clear over time.”
“Gossip had a pernicious influence on workplace morale.”
Categories
GRE Tip
Pernicious is a hard-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "deleterious" or "baneful" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "beneficial".
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