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Poison pill

Idiomatic Phrase
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A measure designed to deter unwanted actions by making them costly or undesirable; originally a corporate defense strategy, now applies to any preventive tactic involving self-inflicted damage.

Detailed Definition
Poison pill means a hidden or deliberate feature that makes an offer, agreement, policy, or takeover harmful, unattractive, or self-defeating. In poetry, the idiom can suggest beauty containing danger, gifts carrying traps, or promises designed to fail. Its legal and corporate associations make it useful in modern political or economic satire, but the poison image also works in love and myth. A poet may use it to explore concealed harm: what seems protective or generous may secretly corrupt the whole arrangement.
Example
Example in poetry:
A political satire might call the secret clause a poison pill hidden in a law of bright promises; In a fairy-tale poem, the gift contains a poison pill that makes acceptance dangerous; The phrase means a harmful hidden element within an otherwise attractive offer; A poet can use it for deception and irony.
Additional Notes
Poison pill means a hidden or deliberate feature that makes an action unattractive, dangerous, or self-defeating, often used in business or politics. In poetry, it can symbolise a gift, bargain, law, or promise that contains its own ruin. The phrase combines medicine, murder, and strategy. Students should ask whether the poison is protective, malicious, or both. It pairs well with cups, fruit, contracts, and seductive dangers.
Also Known As
deterrent
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