DETRIMENTAL Synonyms: 90 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'detrimental' different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of detrimental are baneful , deleterious , noxious , and pernicious . While all these words mean "exceedingly harmful," detrimental implies obvious harmfulness to something specified. // the detrimental effects of excessive drinking

Q: When would 'baneful' be a good substitute for 'detrimental'?

While the synonyms baneful and detrimental are close in meaning, baneful implies injury through poisoning or destroying. // the baneful notion that discipline destroys creativity

Q: Where would 'deleterious' be a reasonable alternative to 'detrimental'?

The meanings of deleterious and detrimental largely overlap; however, deleterious applies to what has an often unsuspected harmful effect. // a diet found to have deleterious effects

Q: When can 'noxious' be used instead of 'detrimental'?

The synonyms noxious and detrimental are sometimes interchangeable, but noxious applies to what is both offensive and injurious to the health of a body or mind. // noxious chemical fumes

Q: When could 'pernicious' be used to replace 'detrimental'?

While in some cases nearly identical to detrimental , pernicious implies irreparable harm done through evil or insidious corrupting or undermining. // the claim that pornography has a pernicious effect on society

detrimental

adjective

ˌde-trə-ˈmen-tᵊl

Definition of detrimental next

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

For

Try This

detrimental effects

devastating effects

damaging effects

disastrous effects

negative effects

destructive effects

detrimental behavior

harmful behavior

problematic behavior

undesirable behavior

toxic behavior

negative behavior

detrimental substances

dangerous substances

bad substances

terrible substances

harmful substances

troublesome substances

detrimental aspects

adverse aspects

unfavorable aspects

unfortunate aspects

horrible aspects

unpleasant aspects

a detrimental disturbance

a disruptive disturbance

a distressing disturbance

an undesirable disturbance

an adverse disturbance

a considerable disturbance

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of detrimental are baneful, deleterious, noxious, and pernicious. While all these words mean "exceedingly harmful," detrimental implies obvious harmfulness to something specified.

the detrimental effects of excessive drinking

When would baneful be a good substitute for detrimental?

While the synonyms baneful and detrimental are close in meaning, baneful implies injury through poisoning or destroying.

the baneful notion that discipline destroys creativity

Where would deleterious be a reasonable alternative to detrimental?

The meanings of deleterious and detrimental largely overlap; however, deleterious applies to what has an often unsuspected harmful effect.

a diet found to have deleterious effects

When can noxious be used instead of detrimental?

The synonyms noxious and detrimental are sometimes interchangeable, but noxious applies to what is both offensive and injurious to the health of a body or mind.

noxious chemical fumes

When could pernicious be used to replace detrimental?

While in some cases nearly identical to detrimental, pernicious implies irreparable harm done through evil or insidious corrupting or undermining.

the claim that pornography has a pernicious effect on society

Examples 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 The discomfort associated with cold weather isn’t superficial, either: Health experts warn that shorter days, combined with colder temperatures, can have detrimental impacts on both physical and mental health. —

Madeline Fitzgerald, Quartz, 19 Jan. 2025 But holding every subsequent relationship to the standard of that first love can be detrimental. —

David Oliver, USA TODAY, 18 Jan. 2025 The Nuggets rolled into town at a critical moment in the soap opera Friday, defeating the Heat 133-113 in Butler’s first game back from a seven-game suspension imposed by Riley for conduct detrimental to the team. —

Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 17 Jan. 2025 And its findings add to a chorus of lawmakers trying to address the detrimental impact of private equity ownership on critical U.S. hospitals — a subject that has been the focus of a two-year CBS News investigation. —

Michael Kaplan, CBS News, 7 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for detrimental

Recent Examples of Synonyms for detrimental

Adjective

Market intervention is always and everywhere harmful simply because markets are people.

— John Tamny, Forbes, 19 Jan. 2025
In an October 2022 article in the Montreal Gazette, Bryn Austin, a professor at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, highlighted how BMI can lead to harmful outcomes.

— David Faris, Newsweek, 19 Jan. 2025