toxic
gb/tˈɑksɪk/ us/tˈɑksɪk/
B2
English
~ 6700
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B2
property
1
Emotionally or socially harmful
Describes a person, relationship, or place that makes people feel very bad, unsafe, or unhealthy in their emotions for a long time.
Usage pattern:
toxic [relationship/person/workplace/culture]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "toxic" for any small problem in a relationship or place. In English, calling a person or relationship "toxic" is strong and usually means serious, repeated emotional harm, not just one argument or a minor issue. Learners may also confuse the emotional meaning with the physical meaning and say things like "I feel toxic" when they mean "I feel sick"; in that case, "sick" or "ill" is more natural.
Synonyms
harmful (More general and often weaker; does not always suggest the strong, ongoing emotional damage implied by "toxic".)
Antonyms
healthy (Describes relationships or environments that support emotional well‑being instead of damaging it.)
Collocations
toxic relationship
|toxic person
|toxic workplace
|toxic culture
|toxic environment
|toxic behavior
Themes
emotions
|relationships
|work
|society
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She finally ended the toxic relationship after years of constant criticism and control.
- The company had such a toxic workplace that most new hires quit within a few months.
- His toxic behavior pushed away even his closest friends.
- Social media can become toxic when people use it only to attack and shame others.
- They are trying to change the toxic culture in the industry that rewards overwork and burnout.
Learner examples
- She left her toxic boyfriend because he was always shouting at her.
- I do not want to work in a toxic office where people are rude all the time.
- Their friendship became toxic, so they stopped talking.
- The boss is toxic and makes everyone feel afraid.
- That online group is toxic, so I do not read it anymore.
adjective
B2
property
2
Containing or acting as poison
Describes a substance that is like poison and can seriously hurt or kill people, animals, or plants.
Usage pattern:
toxic [substance/chemical/waste/fumes]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "toxic" with "infectious" or "contagious". "Toxic" describes poisonous substances, while "infectious" and "contagious" describe diseases that can spread from one person to another.
Synonyms
poisonous ("Poisonous" is very close in meaning and often interchangeable, but "toxic" is more common in scientific, medical, and environmental contexts.)
Antonyms
non-toxic (Specifically states that a substance does not contain harmful poison and is safe to touch or use in normal amounts.)
Collocations
toxic chemicals
|toxic waste
|toxic fumes
|toxic gas
|toxic substance
|toxic exposure
Themes
science
|health
|environment
|nature
Examples
- The factory was fined for dumping toxic waste into the river.
- These berries are highly toxic to dogs and should be kept out of reach.
- Workers must wear masks to avoid breathing in toxic fumes.
- The report warned that long-term exposure to the toxic chemicals could cause cancer.
- They use only non-toxic paint in products for children.
Learner examples
- Some mushrooms are toxic and can kill you.
- The lake was dirty because of toxic waste from the plant.
- The fire made toxic smoke that hurt people’s lungs.
- This cleaner is toxic, so wear gloves when you use it.
- The label says the product is non-toxic and safe for kids.
adjective
technical
C1
property
3
Financially dangerous or very risky
Describes a loan or other money product that has become very bad and can make a bank or company lose a lot of money.
Usage pattern:
toxic [asset/debt/loan/security]
Common mistake:
Learners may think "toxic" in this context means the company is breaking the law. In finance, "toxic" usually refers to very risky or almost worthless assets, even if they are legal.
Synonyms
high-risk (Describes investments with a high chance of loss, but does not always carry the strong negative, almost unsellable sense that "toxic" suggests.)
Antonyms
safe (In finance, describes assets that are very unlikely to lose value or cause problems, the opposite of "toxic" assets.)
Collocations
toxic assets
|toxic debt
|toxic loans
|toxic securities
Themes
business
|finance
|economics
Examples
- The bank nearly collapsed under the weight of toxic assets during the financial crisis.
- Investors are trying to remove toxic debt from their portfolios.
- Regulators demanded that the firm write down billions in toxic securities.
- The fund’s exposure to toxic mortgages scared away new clients.
- They created a special unit to manage and sell off the most toxic loans.
Learner examples
- After the housing crash, many home loans became toxic assets.
- The bank wants to sell its toxic debt to reduce risk.
- Toxic loans can damage the whole financial system.
- Investors do not want to buy toxic securities.
- Governments sometimes help banks with many toxic assets.
Grammar
Dictionary form
toxic
IPA
GB/tˈɑksɪk/
US/tˈɑksɪk/
Syllables & stress
tox - ic (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (tox)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: toxic
Word family
Expressions
toxic asset
1/tˈɑksɪk ˈæsˌɛt/
fixed phrase
technical
Very risky financial asset
A loan or other financial product that has become so bad and risky that it may make a bank or investor lose a lot of money.
Examples
- The bank created a separate fund to hold its most toxic assets.
- During the crisis, many mortgage-backed securities turned into toxic assets.
- Governments debated whether to buy toxic assets to stabilize the financial system.
toxic chemicals
1/tˈɑksɪk kˈɛmɪkəlz/
fixed phrase
Chemicals that are poisonous
Chemical substances that are poisonous and can seriously hurt or kill living things.
Examples
- The factory uses toxic chemicals in its production process.
- Experts are studying the long-term effects of these toxic chemicals on human health.
- Workers must wear special suits when handling toxic chemicals.
toxic culture
1/tˈɑksɪk kˈʌlt͡ʃɚ/
fixed phrase
Harmful group or company culture
The usual way people think and act in a group, company, or society that often hurts people or creates fear and unfair treatment.
Examples
- They are trying to change the toxic culture of overwork in the firm.
- A toxic culture in the team made new employees feel unwelcome.
- The report blamed the scandal on a toxic culture inside the organization.
toxic environment
1/tˈɑksɪk ɪnvˈaɪɹənmənt/
fixed phrase
Emotionally harmful setting
A place or situation where people often feel stressed, afraid, or hurt because of how others act or because of very bad conditions.
Examples
- Growing up in a toxic environment can affect a child for life.
- Students complained that the school had become a toxic environment.
- She left the team because the constant drama created a toxic environment.
toxic masculinity
1/tˈɑksɪk mˌæskjəlˈɪnəti/
fixed phrase
Harmful traditional male norms
Parts of traditional ideas about how men should act that lead to harm, such as men hiding emotions, using violence, or controlling others.
Examples
- The documentary explores how toxic masculinity affects young boys at school.
- Many people are questioning old ideas that support toxic masculinity.
- Workshops were created to help men talk about emotions and move away from toxic masculinity.
toxic person
1/tˈɑksɪk pˈɚsən/
fixed phrase
Emotionally harmful person
Someone who often hurts other people emotionally, for example by lying, controlling, or always being negative.
Examples
- She decided to distance herself from toxic people in her life.
- Being a toxic person is often a pattern learned over many years.
- He didn’t realize how toxic a person he had become until his friends stopped calling.
toxic positivity
1/tˈɑksɪk pˈoʊzɪtˈɪvɪti/
fixed phrase
Unhealthy forced positivity
When someone pushes people to be happy and positive all the time, and does not allow real sad or angry feelings, which can hurt people instead of helping them.
Examples
- Therapists warn that toxic positivity can make people feel guilty for normal sadness.
- Her constant toxic positivity made it hard to talk honestly about problems.
- The article explains the difference between healthy optimism and toxic positivity.
toxic relationship
1/tˈɑksɪk ɹilˈeɪʃənʃˌɪp/
fixed phrase
Emotionally harmful relationship
A close relationship that regularly makes one or both people feel bad, afraid, controlled, or hurt in their emotions.
Examples
- She stayed in a toxic relationship for years before she felt strong enough to leave.
- Therapy helped him understand the signs of a toxic relationship.
- They realized their marriage had become a toxic relationship and decided to separate.
toxic waste
1/tˈɑksɪk wˈeɪst/
fixed phrase
Poisonous industrial or chemical waste
Waste from factories or chemicals that is poisonous and can seriously harm people, animals, or the environment.
Examples
- The company was accused of dumping toxic waste into the ocean.
- Cleaning up the toxic waste site will cost millions of dollars.
- New laws strictly control how toxic waste is stored and transported.
toxic workplace
1/tˈɑksɪk wˈɚkplˌeɪs/
fixed phrase
Emotionally harmful work environment
A place of work where there is a lot of stress, bullying, fear, or unfair treatment, and people feel bad most of the time.
Examples
- He left what he called a toxic workplace after just six months.
- Signs of a toxic workplace include gossip, blame, and no trust in management.
- The new CEO is trying to turn the toxic workplace into a healthier environment.