deleterious

American  

[del-i-teer-ee-uhs] / ˌdɛl ɪˈtɪər i əs /

adjective

1. injurious to health.

   deleterious gases.

2. harmful; injurious.

   deleterious influences.

   Synonyms:

   noxious, destructive, hurtful, pernicious

   Antonyms:

   beneficial

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deleterious British  

/ ˌdɛlɪˈtɪərɪəs /

adjective

1. harmful; injurious; hurtful

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Other Word Forms

• deleteriously adverb
• deleteriousness noun
• nondeleterious adjective
• nondeleteriously adverb
• nondeleteriousness noun
• undeleterious adjective
• undeleteriously adverb
• undeleteriousness noun

Etymology

Origin of deleterious

1635–45; < Greek dēlētḗrios destructive, adj. derivative of dēlētḗr destroyer, equivalent to dēlē- variant stem of dēleîsthai to hurt, injure + -tēr agent suffix + -ios adj. suffix; -ious

Example Sentences

But he demonstrated Wednesday that his leadership remains intact—and strong enough to prevent tension in the Fed’s dual mandate from devolving into deleterious tension within the committee.

From Barron's

Directors, producers and owners of theater chains fear that Netflix’s WBD takeover can only be further deleterious to the box office ecosystem.

From Salon

And some pointed out different reasons for a decline in business, including the deleterious effect that recent immigration enforcement raids — and the protests they spurred — have had on tourism.

From Los Angeles Times

This duality of the natural and spiritual world is not wholly unique to radical Protestantism, but it has certainly showed up in a variety of deleterious ways.

From Salon

Reviewing a novel that relies on reveals for much of its tension can be difficult, as it would be unfair and deleterious to the reading experience to say too much about the twists and turns.

From Los Angeles Times