Pernicious

adjective

/pəˈnɪʃəs/

Having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual, subtle, or scarcely perceptible way; deeply destructive or injurious. Often used of influences, ideas, or tendencies whose damage accumulates unnoticed.

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

The pernicious influence of unchecked money power in electoral politics corrodes the integrity of representative democracy far more insidiously than any overt act of fraud, for it warps policy outcomes long before a single vote is cast.

Synonyms

harmfulinjuriousdestructivedeleteriousbanefulnoxious

Antonyms

beneficialbenignsalutaryharmless

🌱 Word Family

perniciously (adv), perniciousness (n), pernicity (n, archaic)

🔡 Root

Latin per- = completely; nex (gen. necis) = violent death → pernicies = ruin; perniciosus = destructive

📜 Etymology

Early 15th c., from Old French pernicios and directly from Latin perniciosus 'destructive', from pernicies 'ruin, destruction, death', from per- 'completely' + nex (genitive necis) 'violent death, murder'.

🧠 Memory Hook

Root link: Latin per- ('thoroughly') + nex/necis ('violent death') — think of it as "PER-NICE-ious is the opposite of nice": something thoroughly deadly that quietly works toward ruin.

👥 Society 📖 Seen in: Indian Society — Diversity, Demographi...

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