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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

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 Less than six months into his second term as president, Donald Trump has initiated or proposed more than 150 actions that experts say are detrimental to the environment, which range from cancelling climate grant programs to loosening regulations that govern air and water quality. Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2025 Kelly Cunningham, San Diego Institute for Economic Research NO: Attempts at micromanaging the economy are unproductive and detrimental. Phillip Molnar, Mercury News, 16 May 2025 However, losing him for OTAs, minicamp, training camp, and more could be detrimental to establishing his chemistry with the offense. James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 May 2025 Pradeep Kumar Saxena, India’s former Indus Water Commissioner, told the Press Trust of India news agency in April that the country can stop sharing data with Pakistan after the pact’s suspension, which could be detrimental during monsoon season. Chad De Guzman, Time, 7 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for detrimental
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detrimental
Adjective
  • Some of these harmful ideologies might be downstream of these larger root causes.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 30 May 2025
  • The jury is still out on whether emulsifiers are harmful to the gut.
    Fran Kritz, Verywell Health, 30 May 2025
Adjective
  • Potent thunderstorms across the central and eastern U.S. this week could trigger flash floods, damaging winds and possible tornadoes as California prepares for its first heat wave of the season.
    Christopher Cann, USA Today, 29 May 2025
  • Large hail and damaging winds are the primary threats, with a low (non-zero) tornado threat.
    Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 May 2025
Adjective
  • In 2023, for example, a federal judge ruled that mifepristone should be taken off the market by citing low-quality studies that reported adverse effects from mifepristone.
    Keren Landman, The Atlantic, 24 May 2025
  • Those impacted by this recall or others can report a complaint or adverse event by visiting Industry and Consumer Assistance.
    Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 24 May 2025
Adjective
  • This, in effect, frames even the movie’s unrelated, apolitical happenings as being at the mercy of this dangerous future, backed by Western powers.
    Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 24 May 2025
  • Cruise’s wing-walking sequence was somehow even more dangerous.
    Tyler Foggatt, New Yorker, 24 May 2025
Adjective
  • That cartilage injury was worse than expected, and Jiménez could miss all or most of this season rehabbing.
    David O'Brien, New York Times, 5 June 2025
  • Athletics manager Mark Kotsay has continued to search for answers to cure what ails the Athletics during their historically bad run of losing in West Sacramento.
    Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 4 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Detrimental.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detrimental. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.

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