What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
noxious
Example
The fumes from the factory were noxious and caused people to cough. [noxious: adjective]
Example
The noxious chemicals in the river killed all the fish. [noxious: adjective]
noxiousness
Example
The noxiousness of the gas made it impossible to breathe. [noxiousness: noun]
Example
The noxiousness of the oil spill was devastating to the local ecosystem. [noxiousness: noun]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Noxious is more commonly used than noxiousness in everyday language and covers a wide range of contexts, while noxiousness is less common and used more specifically to describe the degree or level of harm or damage.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between noxious and noxiousness?
Noxious is more versatile in terms of formality and can be used in both formal and informal contexts, while noxiousness is more formal and less commonly used in everyday language.
