poison
gb/pˈɔɪzən/ us/pˈɔɪzən/
B1
English
~ 2800
méreg, megmérgez
NOUN
B1
1
méreg
B1
Usage pattern:
[something] contains poison
The detective found traces of poison in the victim’s drink.
A nyomozó méreg nyomait találta az áldozat italában.
Some mushrooms contain a deadly poison.
Egyes gombák halálos mérget tartalmaznak.
He was rushed to the hospital after swallowing rat poison.
The snake's bite delivers a strong poison.
Poison can enter the body through the skin or mouth.
Learner examples
This plant has poison in its leaves.
Ennek a növénynek a levelei mérget tartalmaznak.
The man died because of poison in his food.
A férfi azért halt meg, mert méreg volt az ételében.
The doctor gave her medicine for the poison.
Some snakes have poison in their teeth.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'poison' with 'venom'. Poison is harmful if eaten, touched, or inhaled, while venom is injected by an animal bite or sting.
Meaning
A harmful or deadly substance
Collocations
deadly poison
|food poison
|poison control
|slow-acting poison
|poison victim
Synonyms
toxin (Often used in scientific or medical contexts; can refer to natural poisons from plants or animals.)
Antonyms
antidote (A substance that counteracts the effects of a poison.)
Themes
health
|science
|safety
Definition
A substance that can make you very sick or kill you if you eat, drink, or touch it.
A substance that can cause injury, illness, or death to a living organism when introduced in small or large quantities.
VERB
B1
2
megmérgez
B1
Usage pattern:
to poison [someone/something]
She was accused of trying to poison her husband.
Azzal vádolták, hogy megpróbálta megmérgezni a férjét.
Industrial waste can poison rivers and lakes.
Az ipari hulladék megmérgezheti a folyókat és a tavakat.
The dictator poisoned his political rival.
They feared the water supply had been poisoned.
He poisoned the dog with rat bait.
Learner examples
Someone tried to poison the king.
Valaki megpróbálta megmérgezni a királyt.
The bad food poisoned many people.
A romlott étel sok embert megmérgezett.
The smoke poisoned the air.
They poisoned the water in the well.
Common mistake:
Some learners confuse 'poison' (verb) with 'poisoning' (noun), as in 'He died of poisoning'.
Meaning
To harm or kill with poison
Collocations
poison someone's drink
|poison the air
|accidentally poison
|try to poison
Synonyms
contaminate (Can mean to make something impure or harmful, not always with deadly effect.)
Antonyms
detoxify (To remove poisonous substances from something.)
Themes
crime
|health
|science
Definition
To make someone or something sick or die by giving them poison.
To cause injury, illness, or death to a person, animal, or other living organism by introducing a poisonous substance into their body.
NOUN
B2
3
méreg
B2
Gossip can be a real poison in the workplace.
A pletyka igazi méreg lehet a munkahelyen.
Jealousy was the poison that destroyed their friendship.
A féltékenység volt az a méreg, ami tönkretette a barátságukat.
The leader’s hateful speech spread poison through the community.
Learner examples
Hate is like poison in the heart.
A gyűlölet olyan, mint a méreg a szívben.
Lies are poison for trust.
A hazugság méreg a bizalomnak.
Jealousy is poison for love.
Meaning
A harmful influence or factor
Collocations
emotional poison
|political poison
|spread poison
Synonyms
corruption (Focuses on moral decay or dishonest behavior; broader than 'poison' in this sense.)
Antonyms
remedy (Something that improves or heals a harmful situation.)
Themes
emotions
|society
|core_vocabulary
|relationships
Definition
Something that makes people or situations worse and more unhappy.
Something that has a damaging effect on people’s minds, relationships, or society.
Grammar
Dictionary form
poison
IPA
GB/pˈɔɪzən/
US/pˈɔɪzən/
Syllables & stress
pois - on (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (pois)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: poison
- Plural: poison, poisons
Verb
- Base: poison
- 3rd Person Singular: poisons
- Present Participle: poisoning
- Past: poisoned
Word family
Forms
poisons
noun
poisoning
verb
poisoned
verb
Core family
poisonous
adjective B1
Related words
poisoner
noun
Negative and opposite forms
non-poisonous
adjective
Expressions
food poisoning
1/fˈud pˈɔɪzənɪŋ/
fixed phrase
Illness from contaminated food
Sickness caused by eating food with harmful bacteria or substances.
Examples
- He got food poisoning after eating undercooked chicken.
- Food poisoning can cause vomiting and diarrhea.
like poison
1/lˈaɪk pˈɔɪzən/
fixed phrase
informal
With great intensity of dislike or avoidance
Very strongly, especially about not liking someone or something.
Examples
- She avoids him like poison.
- He hates broccoli like poison.
one man's meat is another man's poison
1/wˈʌn mˈænz mˈit ˈɪz ənˈʌðɚ mˈænz pˈɔɪzən/
idiom
What benefits one may harm another
Something that is good for one person may be bad for another person.
Examples
- I love spicy food, but my friend can't eat it at all — one man's meat is another man's poison.
- Coffee helps me wake up, but it keeps her awake all night — one man's meat is another man's poison.