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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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detrimental effects
detrimental behavior
detrimental substances
detrimental aspects
a detrimental disturbance
a disruptive disturbance
a distressing disturbance
an undesirable disturbance
an adverse disturbance
a considerable disturbance
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of detrimental
Salted pasta water can be detrimental to soil and plant health, and even unsalted water can promote the growth of unwanted fungi.
—
Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 July 2025
Losing Houston for any amount of time would be detrimental to a defensive line that already lacked depth after all four starters were picked in the NFL Draft.
—Cameron Teague Robinson, New York Times, 31 July 2025
McCarthy losing a massive weapon like Jefferson would be detrimental to the offensive hopes of the team.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 July 2025
Circadian disruptions can be a major precursor of Parkinson’s, as staying up late into the night in artificial lighting and eating meals outside of a normal schedule can be detrimental to the brain.
—Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for detrimental
Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 July 2025
Losing Houston for any amount of time would be detrimental to a defensive line that already lacked depth after all four starters were picked in the NFL Draft.
—Cameron Teague Robinson, New York Times, 31 July 2025
McCarthy losing a massive weapon like Jefferson would be detrimental to the offensive hopes of the team.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 July 2025
Circadian disruptions can be a major precursor of Parkinson’s, as staying up late into the night in artificial lighting and eating meals outside of a normal schedule can be detrimental to the brain.
—Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for detrimental
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detrimental
Adjective
-
All of which are made from lightweight, dishwasher-safe plastic that’s free of harmful chemicals.—
Anja Webb,
Parents,
8 Aug. 2025
-
The Environmental Protection Agency’s endangerment finding for greenhouse gases, from 2009, says quite simply that these emissions endanger the public and qualify as harmful pollution; they can therefore be regulated under the Clean Air Act.—
Zoë Schlanger,
The Atlantic,
8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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In a surprising aside given the damaging, lurid testimony in the trial about Combs’ private life, Agnifilo said one of Diddy’s future goals is to perform at one of New York’s most iconic venues again.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
7 Aug. 2025
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Even though plants need sun to grow, too much scorching sunshine can be damaging.—
Claire Hoppe Norgaard,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The maintenance of a favorable risk-reward ratio over a shorter timeframe of 5 years is promising for retirement accounts – mitigating the risk of liquidation (if necessary) during adverse drawdown scenarios.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
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Many models struggle to operate in adverse weather conditions, and drones have weight limits for parcels.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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That said, the Revolution had promising spells of attacking play and even looked the more dangerous side in the first half.—
Julian Cardillo,
Boston Herald,
17 Aug. 2025
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In hilly terrain there are hundreds of low water crossings which are potentially dangerous in heavy rain.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Not bad for a company built on the back of a $40 plastic-cased watch!—
Oren Hartov,
Robb Report,
15 Aug. 2025
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For the first time, a majority of Americans – 53% – said that moderate drinking, defined as one or two drinks per day, is bad for your health.—
Jeffrey Kopp,
CNN Money,
15 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Detrimental.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detrimental. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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