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
The research did not find any solid proof that elderberry causes harmful immune overreactions.
—
Julie Scott, Verywell Health, 26 Jan. 2026
Gmail hasn’t scanned this message for spam, unverified senders, or harmful software.
—David Phelan, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026
People should avoid swimming when warnings are posted so as to reduce their exposure to harmful pathogens.
—Ethan Stone, Ascend Agency, 25 Jan. 2026
Avoid mixing cleaning vinegar with bleach, as this can produce harmful chlorine gas.
—Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 25 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for harmful
Julie Scott, Verywell Health, 26 Jan. 2026
Gmail hasn’t scanned this message for spam, unverified senders, or harmful software.
—David Phelan, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026
People should avoid swimming when warnings are posted so as to reduce their exposure to harmful pathogens.
—Ethan Stone, Ascend Agency, 25 Jan. 2026
Avoid mixing cleaning vinegar with bleach, as this can produce harmful chlorine gas.
—Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 25 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for harmful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harmful
Adjective
-
What’s more, inability to heal these relationships can be detrimental to physical and emotional well-being, and even longevity.—
Richard Balkin,
The Conversation,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Yet none of those losses, Gottlieb points out, has been all that detrimental to the Trojans’ tournament resume.—
Ryan Kartje,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
This is because free iron can catalyze reactive oxygen species, which may prove to be chemically damaging.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Emily Mendenhall traces the medical myths, gender bias, and neurological truths behind hysteria, one of history’s most damaging diagnoses.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
More than a billion phones are now ineligible for security updates at a time when the threat landscape has never been more dangerous.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The church opened its warming center over the weekend, anticipating the arrival of the winter storm and the dangerous drop in temperatures.—
Leondra Head,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Affected cosmetics that are applied to the skin or eyes may lead to skin irritation, infection, or other adverse reactions.—
Michele Laufik,
Martha Stewart,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Even for women whose initial mammograms didn’t show any calcium buildup and were considered low risk, risk of an adverse cardiac incident increased by 41% if buildup was detected on followups.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Now, but as the statistics and figures come in here in Minneapolis, there's double-digit drops in crime, coupled with a lot of bad people and bad things being taken off of your streets.—
Esme Murphy,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Under President Biden, the FTC and DOJ slowed large transactions, suggesting that all big businesses were bad businesses.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Harmful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harmful. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
