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
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
Recent reporting and viral social-media content have fueled criticism of millennial managers for blurring the line between manager and friend—sometimes to detrimental effect.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 23 July 2025
This past fall, my neighborhood saw detrimental air quality conditions from Canadian wildfires.
—Chicago Tribune, 15 July 2025
The platform was recently accused by several state attorneys general of implementing addictive features across its family of apps that have detrimental effects on children’s mental health.
—Zach Vallese, CNBC, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for detrimental
Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 25 July 2025
Recent reporting and viral social-media content have fueled criticism of millennial managers for blurring the line between manager and friend—sometimes to detrimental effect.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 23 July 2025
This past fall, my neighborhood saw detrimental air quality conditions from Canadian wildfires.
—Chicago Tribune, 15 July 2025
The platform was recently accused by several state attorneys general of implementing addictive features across its family of apps that have detrimental effects on children’s mental health.
—Zach Vallese, CNBC, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for detrimental
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detrimental
Adjective
-
That might help researchers discover which technology helps what kinds of people best and which makes no impact or is harmful to brain health.—
Nicole Villalpando,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
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Pavi, like the many disabled characters in the Avatar universe that came before her, can serve as a reminder that inclusivity isn’t harmful to good storytelling but is a key part of it.—
Braedon Montgomery,
Forbes.com,
29 July 2025
Adjective
-
Expose how these programs and their curriculum are damaging and not aligned with state workforce demands.—
Lily Kepner,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
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Despite the initial euphoria on European stock markets, strategists at UBS suggest the deal is likely to be damaging in the long run.—
Ganesh Rao,
CNBC,
28 July 2025
Adjective
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The team identified three distinct behavioral phenotypes as a result of their experiments, representing the varying sensitivity of people to the adverse consequences (punishment) of their actions.—
Jennifer Ouellette,
ArsTechnica,
24 July 2025
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Without such data, the systems can serve adverse, false results or fail to understand the context of a user’s query, among other issues.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
22 July 2025
Adjective
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The judge found that Norma conceivably alleged that the social media companies actively directed dangerous content to Zackery based on his age and did not just serve as neutral platforms.—
Brian Brant,
People.com,
4 Aug. 2025
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Sun poisoning is a severe sunburn that can take weeks to heal fully and cause other dangerous symptoms, like dehydration.—
Rachael Zimlich,
Verywell Health,
4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Truth be told, neither outcome would have been a bad choice.—
Blake Oestriecher,
Forbes.com,
4 Aug. 2025
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The tab can easily run into thousands of dollars A bad adapter might even expose vehicles and chargers — conceivably, even your home — to cybersecurity threats.—
Mark Phelan,
Freep.com,
3 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Detrimental.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detrimental. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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