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
But many did not expect the cuts to be so deep—or the implications of the layoffs to be so potentially detrimental to the health and wellbeing of American families.
—
Alana Semuels, Time, 1 Apr. 2025
My passion for saving my generation from the detrimental effects of TikTok had suddenly morphed into something even bigger, a mission — by forces greater than me — to preserve childhood itself against the insidiously destructive forces of smartphone dependency.
—Juliet Weisfogel, New York Daily News, 31 Mar. 2025
Losing out on the top four would be hugely detrimental to Juve’s bottom line come the end of the season.
—Emmet Gates, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
Biggs promises, particularly to the communities that would potentially be affected, that the county would not approve anything detrimental.
—Shelley Jones, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for detrimental
Alana Semuels, Time, 1 Apr. 2025
My passion for saving my generation from the detrimental effects of TikTok had suddenly morphed into something even bigger, a mission — by forces greater than me — to preserve childhood itself against the insidiously destructive forces of smartphone dependency.
—Juliet Weisfogel, New York Daily News, 31 Mar. 2025
Losing out on the top four would be hugely detrimental to Juve’s bottom line come the end of the season.
—Emmet Gates, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
Biggs promises, particularly to the communities that would potentially be affected, that the county would not approve anything detrimental.
—Shelley Jones, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for detrimental
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detrimental
Adjective
-
Our biochemical response to that type of stress is to release cortisol which eventually leads to the harmful downstream effects on our bodies, such as high blood pressure.—
Andrea Kane,
CNN Money,
1 Apr. 2025
-
Make sure to not add dyes or sweeteners, which can be harmful to hummingbirds.—
Claire Hoppe Norgaard,
Better Homes & Gardens,
1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Professionals, for the most part, consider these to be inefficient or damaging to knives.—
Ahmed Ali Akbar,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2025
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Tuesday’s storms could be strong to severe with the main threats being large hail, damaging winds and a few tornadoes, according to the NWS.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The foreign material could pose serious adverse health consequences, leading the FSIS to consider the recall a Class I—the agency's highest level of alert.—
Abigail Wilt,
Southern Living,
7 Apr. 2025
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And while the metal is usually excreted from the body, and most people experience no adverse side effects, previous research has shown some gadolinium particles have been left behind.—
John W. Dean,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
As the medical profession came to consider cocaine and morphine as equally dangerous, coca became associated with opium, and the public was led to believe that the ruinous effects of habitual opium use would inevitably befall those who regularly chewed coca leaves.—
Wade Davis,
Rolling Stone,
6 Apr. 2025
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The speeds can vary from moment to moment and can quickly increase to become dangerous to anyone entering the surf.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Jack: This is just a bad team that has occasionally had good days.—
The View from the Lane,
New York Times,
5 Apr. 2025
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Since Trump’s Wednesday announcement, the stock market plummeted to its worst position since March 2020.—
Ashleigh Fields,
The Hill,
5 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Detrimental.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detrimental. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
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