as in detrimental
causing or capable of causing harm
DDT has been proven to be extremely harmful to the environment
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Recent Examples of harmful
The pods can help your septic system avoid the harmful effects caused by bleach, detergents and other chemical drain openers.
—
Nora Colomer, FOXNews.com, 29 Mar. 2025
Mast cells also play a role in protecting the skin from harmful bacteria.
—Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 29 Mar. 2025
All are found in dust and rocks, and aren’t harmful in the context of those minute, naturally-occurring exposures.
—Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2025
This doesn’t mean discrimination is less harmful for Black, Hispanic/Latino or other racial and ethnic groups.
—Monica Wang, The Conversation, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for harmful
Nora Colomer, FOXNews.com, 29 Mar. 2025
Mast cells also play a role in protecting the skin from harmful bacteria.
—Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 29 Mar. 2025
All are found in dust and rocks, and aren’t harmful in the context of those minute, naturally-occurring exposures.
—Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2025
This doesn’t mean discrimination is less harmful for Black, Hispanic/Latino or other racial and ethnic groups.
—Monica Wang, The Conversation, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for harmful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harmful
Adjective
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Data shows how detrimental bad habits can be relative to the buy-and-hold investor.—
Greg Iacurci,
CNBC,
5 Apr. 2025
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The Institute for the Study of War said Friday that Russian strikes on Ukraine's civilian infrastructure under the cover of the ceasefire on energy strikes were detrimental to establishing peace.—
John W. Dean,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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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
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The storms are threatening large hail and damaging wind gusts up to 60 mph.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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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
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That means the garden isn't dangerous for Cummings' elderly father, who is allergic to bees.—
Martha Ann Overland,
NPR,
6 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
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What happened was my bad behavior and my angst brought the energy finally.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
People.com,
5 Apr. 2025
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Hundreds of homes were damaged when a bad rainstorm hit in 2023.—
Susannah Bryan,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Harmful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harmful. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
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