empoison
Definition
- Verb:
- To poison (literally): "empoison" means to administer poison to someone or something, or to contaminate with a toxic substance.
- To corrupt or embitter (figuratively): "empoison" also means to fill someone's mind with hatred, resentment, or harmful ideas, thereby spoiling their attitude or relationships.
Usage Examples
Literal:
- The assassin attempted to empoison the king's wine. (To put poison into the drink.)
- Industrial waste can empoison the local water supply. (To contaminate with toxic substances.)
Figurative:
- Jealousy began to empoison their friendship. (To corrupt or spoil the relationship with negative feelings.)
- The politician's lies empoisoned the public's trust. (To fill with harmful ideas or distrust.)
Advanced Usage
- "empoison someone's mind against someone": to deliberately make someone dislike or hate another person.
- The gossip empoisoned her mind against her neighbour. (She was made to feel hostility without reason.)
Variants and Related Words
- Empoisonment (noun): the act or state of being poisoned, either literally or figuratively.
- The empoisonment of the river led to a ban on fishing. (The contamination of the water.)
Synonyms
- Poison: to administer a toxic substance (more common and direct synonym).
- Contaminate: to make impure or harmful by adding a dangerous substance.
- Corrupt: to cause someone to become morally bad or dishonest (figurative sense).
- Embitter: to make someone feel angry or resentful (figurative sense).
Related Idioms
- "A poisoned chalice": something that appears attractive but is actually harmful or dangerous.
- The promotion turned out to be a poisoned chalice, as it empoisoned his relationship with his team. (The opportunity brought negative consequences.)
Phrasal Verbs
- Empoison against: to cause someone to develop hostility toward another.
- The rumors empoisoned the community against the newcomer. (They made the community hostile.)