giftig
poisonous / venomous
Containing poison and therefore harmful to health or deadly; toxic.
EXAMPLE
Der Knollenblätterpilz ist einer der giftigsten Pilze in Europa.
The death cap mushroom is one of the most poisonous mushrooms in Europe.
giftig
poisonous / venomous
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Meanings
giftig
spiteful
Figuratively, malicious, hateful, or full of resentment.
EXAMPLE
Nach dem Streit machte sie noch eine giftige Bemerkung.
After the argument, she made one more spiteful remark.
giftig
garish
Describing a very bright, vivid, and intense color, especially green ('giftgrün' = poisonous/garish green).
EXAMPLE
Er trug ein T-Shirt in einem giftigen Neongrün.
He was wearing a T-shirt in a garish neon green.
Usage tips
False friend
'Giftig' comes from 'das Gift' (poison) and means 'poisonous'. It is a well-known false friend of the English word 'gift' (Geschenk).
EXAMPLE
Vorsicht, diese Beeren sind giftig!
Careful, these berries are poisonous!
Word family
The adjective 'giftig' (poisonous) is derived directly from the noun 'das Gift' (poison). Anything that contains 'Gift' or acts like 'Gift' is 'giftig'.
EXAMPLE
In der Fabrik wird mit giftigen Chemikalien gearbeitet.
The factory works with toxic chemicals.
Context clue
You can recognize the meaning of 'giftig' from the context. If it is about animals, plants, or chemistry, it means 'poisonous'. With people and communication, it means 'spiteful' or 'malicious'. In connection with colors, it describes a garish, intense shade.
EXAMPLE
Manche Schlangen sind extrem giftig.
Some snakes are extremely venomous.
Typical collocations
In its literal meaning, 'giftig' is often used for living creatures or substances. Typical phrases are 'giftige Pilze' (poisonous mushrooms), 'giftige Schlangen' (venomous snakes), 'giftige Pflanzen' (poisonous plants), or 'giftige Dämpfe' (toxic fumes).
EXAMPLE
Beim Putzen sollte man das Fenster öffnen, um keine giftigen Dämpfe einzuatmen.
When cleaning, you should open the window so you don't inhale toxic fumes.
Figurative meaning
In the figurative sense, 'giftig' describes a negative, aggressive way of communicating. Common combinations are 'eine giftige Bemerkung' (a spiteful remark), 'ein giftiger Blick' (a venomous look), or 'ein giftiger Tonfall' (a venomous tone of voice).
EXAMPLE
Er warf ihr einen giftigen Blick zu.
He gave her a venomous look.
Use for colors
In this meaning, 'giftig' is almost always used as part of a compound adjective. The most common form is 'giftgrün' (garish/poison green), but 'giftgelb' (garish yellow) or 'giftblau' (garish blue) are also possible to describe an unnaturally bright color.
EXAMPLE
Sein neues Fahrrad ist giftgrün.
His new bike is garish green.
Compare with
giftig vs Neon
neon
Giftig and Neon can both suggest a very bright, intense color impression. Giftig particularly describes a strikingly vivid color, especially green, and is more of a figurative color term. Neon, by contrast, emphasizes glaring, glowing light, such as from an illuminated advertising sign.
giftig
Das Plakat fiel durch sein giftiggrünes Muster sofort auf.
The poster immediately stood out because of its garish green pattern.
Neon
Das Plakat leuchtete im Neon der Reklame besonders grell.
The poster glowed especially brightly in the neon light from the advertising sign.
In real life
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