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GRE vocabulary

pernicious

adjectiveHigh-frequency wordMore P words

having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way

Word origin: From Latin perniciosus, destructive, from nex, death.

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In a sentence

Pernicious in a sentence

Here are example sentences showing pernicious in a sentence.

The pernicious rumor slowly eroded public trust in the institution.

The pernicious myth that talent is fixed discourages students from persevering.

Synonyms
Antonyms
beneficialharmlessbenign

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Verbal · Text Completion

Critics initially dismissed the composer's late works as merely blank, but later scholars recognized in them a deliberate restraint that concealed considerable technical sophistication.

Select the word that best completes the sentence.

Usage & nuance

Using “pernicious” well

Pernicious stresses harm that works quietly and gradually, making it more sinister than openly destructive damage.

Common questions

Questions about “pernicious”

Pernicious (adjective) means having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way
Here is pernicious used in an example sentence: "The pernicious rumor slowly eroded public trust in the institution." Another example: "The pernicious myth that talent is fixed discourages students from persevering."
Common synonyms for pernicious include destructive, deleterious, noxious, insidious.
Antonyms of pernicious include beneficial, harmless, benign.
On the GRE, pernicious clusters with destructive, deleterious, noxious, and insidious, opposing beneficial, harmless, and benign.
Yes. Pernicious is a high-frequency GRE word, so it is worth prioritising as you build your vocabulary.

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