pernicious

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“In an environment where you’re fighting for a promotion … It’s just a further incentive to agents to engage in this kind of activity. So it’s pernicious on multiple levels.”

From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026

“Giant” is a probing character study that raises the discomfiting question of how a man of intelligence and imagination could hold such atavistic and pernicious views.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

High borrowing costs, he said, have had a pernicious impact on lower-income consumers without producing clear gains in inflation.

From Barron's • Jan. 26, 2026

A similarly pernicious logic has insulated law enforcement from legal accountability for generations.

From Slate • Jan. 25, 2026

The reasoning behind the rule is not pernicious: the lawmakers presumed that a prison visit would negatively affect the sensitive psyches of children.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela