Definition

Relating to or having cancer, which is a disease where cells grow uncontrollably.

Example

The doctor diagnosed her with a cancerous tumor that needed immediate treatment.

Conversation

Did you hear about the new study on cancerous cells?

Yeah, it’s really alarming how common they are becoming.

I know! It’s scary to think about the rise of cancerous cases lately.

Absolutely, we need to be more aware of our health.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Cancerous → It is formed from "cancer" (from Latin *cancer*, meaning crab, used metaphorically for the disease due to its creeping nature) and "-ous" (meaning full of or having the quality of). The word "cancerous" describes something that is full of or characterized by cancer.

Memory Tip

Think of the word 'cancer' which refers to a disease that spreads like a crab's movement, and the suffix '-ous' means full of, so 'cancerous' describes something that is full of cancer.

Visually Confused Words