Synonyms of deleterious

deleterious

adjective

ˌde-lə-ˈtir-ē-əs 

as in harmful

causing or capable of causing harm

nicotine has long been recognized as a deleterious substance

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of deleterious are baneful, detrimental, noxious, and pernicious. While all these words mean "exceedingly harmful," deleterious applies to what has an often unsuspected harmful effect.

a diet found to have deleterious effects

When is baneful a more appropriate choice than deleterious?

The synonyms baneful and deleterious are sometimes interchangeable, but baneful implies injury through poisoning or destroying.

the baneful notion that discipline destroys creativity

When would detrimental be a good substitute for deleterious?

The words detrimental and deleterious are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, detrimental implies obvious harmfulness to something specified.

the detrimental effects of excessive drinking

When can noxious be used instead of deleterious?

The meanings of noxious and deleterious largely overlap; however, noxious applies to what is both offensive and injurious to the health of a body or mind.

noxious chemical fumes

Where would pernicious be a reasonable alternative to deleterious?

The words pernicious and deleterious can be used in similar contexts, but pernicious implies irreparable harm done through evil or insidious corrupting or undermining.

the claim that pornography has a pernicious effect on society

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of deleterious

The deleterious impacts of German energy policy on the economy have created dissatisfaction with the political status quo. —Ariel Cohen, Forbes, 6 Sep. 2024

But there are heroes too — a handful of investigative journalists including Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa, and Carole Cadwalladr, both of whom have examined the deleterious impact of social media on democratic institutions. —Matthew Carey, Deadline, 3 Sep. 2024

Jonathan Metzl examines medical statistics and conducts interviews with individuals to understand why white-identifying people support a conservative political agenda that has had a deleterious effect on their own health and well-being. —Nell Irvin Painter, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2019

One of the forebears of Catholic social thought, Pope Leo XIII, published an encyclical in 1891 that outlined the deleterious effects of unregulated markets on family and community. —Eric Cortellessa, TIME, 26 Sep. 2024

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