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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Try This Instead
Try This InsteadFor
Try This
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
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 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
-
Shiny and minty, these balms provide a gloss-like effect while protecting your lips from the sun’s harmful rays.—
Jillian Dara,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Apr. 2025
-
The debate over the law centers on balancing accountability for harmful content with the risks of censorship and stifled innovation.—
Daryl Lim,
The Conversation,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
But in recent years, lung disease for miners has become a major concern again, Laney says, because coal increasingly comes from mines embedded in sandstone, and which generates dust that's 20 times more damaging to lungs than coal.—
Yuki Noguchi,
NPR,
9 Apr. 2025
-
The storms are threatening large hail and damaging wind gusts up to 60 mph.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Apr. 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
-
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
-
Many of the surf zone fatalities occur when distant hurricanes send swells to shore that create dangerous conditions at the coast, such as strong surf and rip currents, the hurricane center stated.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
6 Apr. 2025
-
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
Adjective
-
What happened was my bad behavior and my angst brought the energy finally.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
People.com,
5 Apr. 2025
-
Hundreds of homes were damaged when a bad rainstorm hit in 2023.—
Susannah Bryan,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Detrimental.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detrimental. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share