viperous

From viper +‎ -ous.

viperous (comparative more viperous, superlative most viperous)

1. of or pertaining to a viper

   Synonym: viperish

2. venomous, malicious or treacherous

   Synonyms: reptilian, reptitious, viperish; see also Thesaurus:evil, Thesaurus:treacherous

   • 1820, Charles Maturin, Melmoth the Wanderer:

     viperous as the suicide foam of captive Judas (iii)

   • 2007, Junot Díaz, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Faber and Faber (2009), page 230:

     Back home the portrait of Trujillo, which every good citizen had hanging in his house, beamed down on him with insipid, viperous benevolence.

• viperously

• pervious, previous