有毒(ゆうどく)

ゆうどく
adjective-na
poisonous; toxic
1. poisonous; toxic; noxious
Containing poison or producing harmful effects on living organisms. Used in chemistry, biology, medicine, environmental science, and food-safety contexts to describe substances, gases, plants, and animals that can injure or kill. A neutral scientific/formal term — not metaphorical ('toxic' relationship, 'toxic' behavior). Functions as both a na-adjective and a no-adjective; also very common as a prefix in compound nouns: 有毒(ゆうどく)ガス ('toxic gas').
有毒(ゆうどく)な植物(しょくぶつ)。
A poisonous plant.
この魚(さかな)の内臓(ないぞう)には有毒(ゆうどく)な成分(せいぶん)が含(ふく)まれている。
The internal organs of this fish contain toxic substances.
工場(こうじょう)から漏(も)れた有毒(ゆうどく)ガスで周辺(しゅうへん)住民(じゅうみん)が避難(ひなん)した。
Residents in the area evacuated due to toxic gas that leaked from the factory.
野生(やせい)のキノコには食用(しょくよう)のものと有毒(ゆうどく)なものがあるので、素人(しろうと)判断(はんだん)は危険(きけん)だ。
Some wild mushrooms are edible and others are poisonous, so amateur judgment is dangerous.

Compound of 有(ゆう) ('having; possessing') and 毒(どく) ('poison'), literally 'having poison'. Pattern 有(ゆう)- vs 無(む)- ('not having') produces matched antonyms: 有毒(ゆうどく) / 無毒(むどく), 有害(ゆうがい) / 無害(むがい), 有料(ゆうりょう) / 無料(むりょう).

USAGE:

  • As a na-adjective before nouns: 有毒(ゆうどく)な植物(しょくぶつ) ('poisonous plant'), 有毒(ゆうどく)な物質(ぶっしつ) ('toxic substance').
  • As a prefix in compound nouns without な: 有毒(ゆうどく)ガス, 有毒(ゆうどく)物質(ぶっしつ), 有毒(ゆうどく)成分(せいぶん).
  • Used literally, not metaphorically. For emotionally/socially harmful situations Japanese usually prefers 有害(ゆうがい) ('harmful') or borrows トキシック.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 有毒(ゆうどく)ガス: toxic gas
  • 有毒(ゆうどく)物質(ぶっしつ): toxic substance
  • 有毒(ゆうどく)成分(せいぶん): toxic component
  • 有毒(ゆうどく)植物(しょくぶつ): poisonous plant
  • 有毒(ゆうどく)生物(せいぶつ): venomous/poisonous creature
  • 有毒(ゆうどく)廃棄(はいき)物(ぶつ): toxic waste
  • 有毒(ゆうどく)煙(けむり): toxic smoke/fumes

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • 有害(ゆうがい): harmful — broader; covers anything damaging to health or society (pollution, bad influence), not only poisons.
  • 毒性(どくせい): toxicity — the noun describing the property; 毒性(どくせい)が強(つよ)い ('highly toxic').
  • 猛毒(もうどく): deadly poison — an intensified noun; a step up from 有毒(ゆうどく).

ANTONYM:

  • 無毒(むどく): non-toxic; harmless
general
Added 2026.4.15 6:18
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