toxin secreted by animals; secreted by certain snakes and poisonous insects (e.g., spiders and scorpions)
"The hiker's leg swelled rapidly after the black widow spider injected its venom while he was sleeping."
feeling a need to see others suffer
"His jealousy turned into pure venom as he watched his rival succeed."
A poison carried by an animal, usually injected into an enemy or prey by biting or stinging.
"The snake struck swiftly to inject its venom directly into the lizard's neck."
To infect with venom; to envenom; to poison.
"The aggressive snake struck its prey, injecting lethal venom that paralyzed it within seconds."
Poisonous, poisoned; (figuratively) pernicious.
"The snake's venom paralyzed its prey within seconds, while the politician spread venom against his opponents through malicious rumors."
The word "venom" comes from the Latin word venēnum, which originally meant "poison" or "drug." Surprisingly, this root is ultimately derived from a Proto-Indo-European term meaning "to love."