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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 Nicholas La Joie, of Milwaukee, said moving away from objects that are detrimental to our society and environment is a good thing. Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 8 July 2025 But at the same time, lowering interest rates to undesirably low levels is detrimental to lenders and creditors. Ray Dalio, Time, 3 July 2025 Along those same lines, certain foods can have a detrimental effect on the microbiota and, thus, skin health. Violeta Valdés, Vogue, 2 July 2025 Advocates fear that this will have a detrimental effect on the lives of many who rely on the program for health insurance. Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 2 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for detrimental
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detrimental
Adjective
  • One of the most common and harmful examples is the Social Security Administration phishing scam, which targets unsuspecting individuals with alarming and deceptive messages.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 6 July 2025
  • The Consumer Product Safety Commission was created by Congress in 1972 and tasked with shielding consumers from injury or death from defective or harmful products.
    Mike Scarcella, USA Today, 3 July 2025
Adjective
  • Texas and the Upper Midwest could continue to see strong to severe thunderstorms with damaging winds and hail through the weekend.
    Taylor Ward, CNN Money, 4 July 2025
  • These storms may bring damaging winds, heavy rainfall and hail.
    Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 July 2025
Adjective
  • Possible issues associated with consuming too much of the spice include allergic reactions (that can range from mild irritation to serious symptoms), stomach pain and potential adverse interactions with medications such as blood thinners.
    Daryl Austin, USA Today, 11 July 2025
  • Earth’s magnetic field naturally protects living things and Earth-orbiting satellites from most adverse effects of space weather.
    Mojtaba Akhavan-Tafti, The Conversation, 11 July 2025
Adjective
  • For flash flood sirens, that means installing river gauges throughout the area so that water levels are monitored continuously and the sirens go off only when dangerous flooding is occurring, says Berginnis.
    Rebecca Hersher, NPR, 11 July 2025
  • Don’t forget the sunscreen Looking toward the rest of that sun protection, a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 will often be sufficient to protect your skin from dangerous UV radiation.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 11 July 2025
Adjective
  • Tom threw batting practice to Jackson, took Ethan down in the garage to vent and hit soft toss after a bad day at school.
    Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 10 July 2025
  • But Littell, who had been on a good roll, had — by his standards — a bad day, allowing the Tigers to go ahead 3-2 in the fourth.
    Marc Topkin, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Detrimental.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detrimental. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on detrimental

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