Synonyms of detrimental

detrimental

adjective

ˌde-trə-ˈmen-tᵊl 

as in harmful

causing or capable of causing harm

there were serious concerns that the factory's waste was detrimental to the local environment

Synonyms & Similar Words

• harmful
• damaging
• adverse
• dangerous
• bad
• hazardous
• deleterious
• injurious
• poisonous
• prejudicial
• infectious
• pernicious
• hurtful
• evil
• baneful
• noxious
• ill
• mischievous
• destructive
• wicked
• hostile
• baleful
• nocuous
• unsafe
• deadly
• threatening
• risky
• inimical
• lethal
• infective
• venomous
• sinister
• unfriendly
• insidious
• ominous
• fatal
• contagious
• perilous
• menacing
• unhealthy
• unhealthful
• ruinous
• unsound
• killer
• unwholesome
• malignant
• pestilential
• jeopardizing
• pestiferous
• imperiling
• pestilent
• nasty
• parlous
• noisome

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• beneficial
• harmless
• safe
• benign
• useful
• advantageous
• innocuous
• innocent
• favorable
• good
• inoffensive
• healthy
• helpful
• propitious
• healthful
• salutary
• wholesome
• remedial
• anodyne
• curative
• salubrious
• hurtless
• sound
• secure
• palliative
• nontoxic
• nondestructive
• benignant
• nonpoisonous
• nonlethal
• noncorrosive
• noninfectious
• nonfatal
• nonpolluting
• nonvenomous

Synonym Chooser

How is the word detrimental different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of detrimental are baneful, deleterious, noxious, and pernicious. While all these words mean "exceedingly harmful," detrimental implies obvious harmfulness to something specified.

the detrimental effects of excessive drinking

When would baneful be a good substitute for detrimental?

While the synonyms baneful and detrimental are close in meaning, baneful implies injury through poisoning or destroying.

the baneful notion that discipline destroys creativity

Where would deleterious be a reasonable alternative to detrimental?

The meanings of deleterious and detrimental largely overlap; however, deleterious applies to what has an often unsuspected harmful effect.

a diet found to have deleterious effects

When can noxious be used instead of detrimental?

The synonyms noxious and detrimental are sometimes interchangeable, but noxious applies to what is both offensive and injurious to the health of a body or mind.

noxious chemical fumes

When could pernicious be used to replace detrimental?

While in some cases nearly identical to detrimental, pernicious implies irreparable harm done through evil or insidious corrupting or undermining.

the claim that pornography has a pernicious effect on society

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of detrimental

Garofalo and Cosco were among a scant few women who have chosen – or been able – to escape their crime families, albeit with inarguably detrimental results. — Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN Money, 21 Sep. 2026

But those pressures were nonetheless, for the most part, detrimental to Dunham personally, to her artistic development, and to the inspirations that made the series so exciting at first. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2026

Don’t Overwater Your Mums Overwatering mums is just as detrimental as underwatering. — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2026

This is somewhat detrimental to the development of Karen, since cutting back and forth interrupts the flow of her epistolary relationship with Wilson, whose stories morph into intimate letters. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 17 Sep. 2026