cancerous

From Middle English cancerous, from Latin cancerōsus, from cancer (“crab; tumor, cancer”) + -ōsus (adjective-forming suffix).^[1] By surface analysis, cancer +‎ -ous.

• IPA^(key): /ˈkænsəɹəs/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

cancerous (comparative more cancerous, superlative most cancerous)

1. (oncology) Relating to or affected with cancer.
   • 2002, Zadie Smith, The Autograph Man, Penguin Books (2003), page 368:

     On Sunday at five they operated to remove the cancerous kidney.

2. (figuratively) Growing or spreading rapidly to the point of harm.
3. (slang) Extremely unpleasant; detestable.

   Synonyms: (slang) AIDS, (slang) cancer

   I love this show, but the fanbase is so toxic and cancerous.

• noncancerous

• cancer