toxicity
gb/tɑksˈɪsəti/ us/tɑksˈɪsəti/
B2
English
~ 8600
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
property
1
quality of being emotionally harmful
The harmful and abusive quality of a person, relationship, or place that makes people feel bad or unsafe.
Usage pattern:
toxicity in [a relationship / group / environment]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "toxicity" only refers to chemicals or physical poison. In modern English, it is very common to use it for emotional and social harm, especially in phrases like "workplace toxicity" or "online toxicity". Another mistake is to use it like an adjective (*a toxicity relationship*); the correct forms are "toxic relationship" (adjective) or "relationship toxicity" (noun).
Synonyms
harmfulness (A general word for causing harm; less focused on emotional or social damage than "toxicity".)
|
abuse (Focuses more on actions that hurt others; "toxicity" can describe a wider harmful atmosphere as well as actions.)
|
hostility (Emphasizes anger and aggression; "toxicity" can include manipulation, control, and negativity beyond open hostility.)
Antonyms
supportiveness (Describes an encouraging, caring quality, which contrasts with the damaging nature of toxicity.)
Collocations
workplace toxicity
|online toxicity
|relationship toxicity
|emotional toxicity
|social media toxicity
|toxic levels of negativity
Themes
emotions
|relationships
|society
Examples
- The company finally admitted that workplace toxicity was driving talented employees to quit.
- She left the group chat because the constant toxicity was starting to affect her mental health.
- Therapists often talk about recognizing toxicity in close relationships before it becomes overwhelming.
- Many users are calling on social media platforms to do more to reduce online toxicity.
- The coach tried to change the team's toxicity into a culture of respect and cooperation.
Learner examples
- He left the job because of the toxicity in the office.
- There is a lot of toxicity in that online game community.
- She ended the friendship when she saw the toxicity in his behavior.
- We need to talk about the toxicity in this family.
- The manager is working to reduce toxicity in the team.
unknown
technical
C1
property
2
degree of how poisonous something is
How poisonous or harmful a chemical or other substance is to people, animals, or plants.
Usage pattern:
the toxicity of [a substance]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "toxic" (adjective) and "toxicity" (noun), saying *the chemical has a high toxic* instead of "the chemical has high toxicity". Another mistake is to treat "toxicity" as countable (*many toxicities*); in this sense, it is almost always uncountable, though technical texts may rarely refer to "different toxicities" of different substances.
Synonyms
poisonousness (Very close in meaning; more general and not used as often in technical writing as "toxicity".)
|
toxicity level (Focuses explicitly on how strong the toxic effect is, often as a measured amount.)
Antonyms
safety (Refers to the absence of significant risk of harm, which contrasts with a high degree of toxicity.)
Collocations
acute toxicity
|chronic toxicity
|high toxicity
|low toxicity
|reduce toxicity
|toxicity levels
Themes
science
|medicine
|environment
|health
Examples
- Researchers are testing the toxicity of the new drug in animals before starting human trials.
- Because of its high toxicity, this pesticide has been banned in several countries.
- Water samples were collected to measure the toxicity caused by the chemical spill.
- Doctors adjusted the dosage to reduce the treatment's toxicity while keeping its benefits.
- The report compares the acute toxicity of several common household cleaning products.
Learner examples
- Scientists studied the toxicity of the new chemical.
- This plant has low toxicity and is safe for pets.
- The factory must check the toxicity of its waste water.
- High toxicity can damage the liver and kidneys.
- They changed the drug to lower its toxicity.
Grammar
Dictionary form
toxicity
IPA
GB/tɑksˈɪsəti/
US/tɑksˈɪsəti/
Syllables & stress
tox - icity (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (icity)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: toxicity
- Plural: toxicities, toxicity
Word family
Expressions
acute toxicity
1/əkjˈut tɑksˈɪsəti/
fixed phrase
technical
short-term poisonous effect
How harmful a substance is when someone is exposed to a large amount in a short time.
Examples
- The study measured the acute toxicity of the pesticide in fish.
- Acute toxicity tests are required before the product can be sold.
chronic toxicity
1/kɹˈɑnɪk tɑksˈɪsəti/
fixed phrase
technical
long-term poisonous effect
How harmful a substance is when someone is exposed to smaller amounts over a long time.
Examples
- Chronic toxicity from low-level exposure can be hard to detect.
- The report warns about the chronic toxicity of heavy metals in drinking water.
low toxicity
1/lˈoʊ tɑksˈɪsəti/
fixed phrase
technical
having little poisonous effect
Being only a little harmful or poisonous to people, animals, or plants.
Examples
- The cleaner is advertised as having low toxicity and being safe for home use.
- Scientists are trying to develop new materials with low toxicity for medical implants.
online toxicity
1/ˈɔnlˌaɪn tɑksˈɪsəti/
fixed phrase
abusive behavior on the internet
Very negative and abusive behavior on the internet, for example in comments, chats, or games.
Examples
- Online toxicity is driving many users away from the platform.
- Game developers are adding tools to report online toxicity in chat.
relationship toxicity
1/ɹilˈeɪʃənʃˌɪp tɑksˈɪsəti/
fixed phrase
harmful quality in a relationship
The level of harm and emotional damage in a relationship, for example when there is control, abuse, or constant criticism.
Examples
- Their therapist helped them see the relationship toxicity they had both been ignoring.
- She decided to step back and look honestly at the relationship toxicity in her life.
workplace toxicity
1/wˈɚkplˌeɪs tɑksˈɪsəti/
fixed phrase
harmful atmosphere at work
A very negative and harmful situation at work, where people are rude, unfair, or abusive.
Examples
- High workplace toxicity was the main reason employees started looking for new jobs.
- The new manager is trying to address workplace toxicity by setting clear rules against bullying.