as in detrimental
causing or capable of causing harm
DDT has been proven to be extremely harmful to the environment
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of harmful
Lastly, taking down disinformation usually takes time, and voters will already be impacted by the harmful content.
—
Mohamed Suliman, Boston Herald, 16 Feb. 2026
It’s made of organic cotton grown and harvested without harmful pesticides that can irritate those of us with sensitive skin.
—Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 15 Feb. 2026
More harmful, however, are mental health stereotypes that equate strength with silence.
—Stuart A. Spencer, Fortune, 15 Feb. 2026
The portrayal of the character Buffalo Bill, also known as Jame Gumb, has been criticized over the years by the transgender community as harmful.
—Sarah Sotoodeh, FOXNews.com, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for harmful
Mohamed Suliman, Boston Herald, 16 Feb. 2026
It’s made of organic cotton grown and harvested without harmful pesticides that can irritate those of us with sensitive skin.
—Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 15 Feb. 2026
More harmful, however, are mental health stereotypes that equate strength with silence.
—Stuart A. Spencer, Fortune, 15 Feb. 2026
The portrayal of the character Buffalo Bill, also known as Jame Gumb, has been criticized over the years by the transgender community as harmful.
—Sarah Sotoodeh, FOXNews.com, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for harmful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harmful
Adjective
-
Doris Roberts, the owner and principal designer at Doris Roberts Interiors, explains how excess moisture can be detrimental to carpeting, which absorbs it like a sponge.—
Marisa Suzanne Martin,
The Spruce,
16 Feb. 2026
-
But the pressure to upgrade skills and learn the difficult jumps on joints that are still growing can be detrimental for athletes.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
But his man-of-the-people image has suffered some serious blows over the past year, and a corruption scandal has proved particularly damaging to a president elected on a promise to clean up politics.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
-
But separating them from one another is difficult and often environmentally damaging.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
As Son combined with Denis Bouanga – MLS’ most dangerous attacker three years running – the club counted 19 of its last 22 regular-season goals (plus four of six in the postseason) thanks to them.—
Josh Gross,
Daily News,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Ten manufacturers of ultraprocessed foods are also facing a lawsuit, filed in December by San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu, that alleges companies knowingly engineered and marketed addictive, dangerous products while hiding the risks and causing a public health crisis.—
Sarah Koch,
CBS News,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Kiosks should be designed to detect drug combinations or conditions with higher risks for adverse events and these high-risk scenarios should be automatically flagged for real-time clinician review or to be reviewed within 24 hours of dispensing.—
Mark A. Munger,
STAT,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The sharp rise in chocolate prices owes to a cocoa shortage caused primarily by adverse weather and crop disease in West Africa, which accounts for about 70% of the world’s cocoa, some analysts told ABC News.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Investigators are buried in leads The influx of tips generated in the case – further fueled by the release this week of footage captured by Guthrie’s doorbell camera – is both good and bad for law enforcement.—
Elizabeth Hartfield,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
-
But the lack of bigger tax cuts does not inherently make the grocery tax repeal bad.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Harmful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harmful. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
