viperous en · ADJ
Etymology
Etymology tree English viper Proto-Indo-European *h₃ed- Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *h₃édosder.? Proto-Italic *-ŏ̄dsos? Old Latin -ōssus Latin -ōsus Old French -usbor. Middle English -ous English -ous English viperous From viper + -ous.
Meanings
- of or pertaining to a viper
-
venomous, malicious or treacherous
Back home the portrait of Trujillo, which every good citizen had hanging in his house, beamed down on him with insipid, viperous benevolence.
2007, Junot Díaz, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Faber and Faber (2009), page 230:viperous as the suicide foam of captive Judas (iii)
1820, Charles Maturin, Melmoth the Wanderer:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| more viperous | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| most viperous | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Synonyms
Punic · viperish · reptitious · recreant · evil · no-good · bad seed · naughty · baneful · base · double-hearted · faithless · disleal · false-hearted · maleficent · guileful · detrimental · nefarious · Judaslike · iniquitous · evil-minded · proditory · flagitious · false · villainous · traitorish · guiled · proditorious · iniquous · dastardly · deleterious · viperish · knavish · vile · reprobate · infidelitous · immoral · ill-intentioned · black-hearted · renegade · despicable · malignant · reptitious · traitorous · unloyal · double-dealing · perfidious · unsteadfast · malefic · reptilian · peccaminous · treachersome · unleal · nithing · satanic · pernicious · devilish · arrant · harmful · illoyal · untrue · insidious · traitorsome · double-crossing · unholy · trothless · Judasly · diabolical · sinful · scurrilous · reprehensible · injurious · malicious · vicious · malevolent · incorrigible · falseheart · unfaithful · niding · nidering · wrong · double-faced · scathful · depraved · facinorous · treacherous · abandoned · ill-natured · demonic · heinous · traitorly · booky · dark · hollow-hearted · ratlike · baleful · ungodly · swike · reptilian · sordid · viperish · nonfaithful · doublehearted · niddering · sullen · bad · traitorlike · disloyal · viperous · wicked · bad apple · malign · sinister