detractor

American  

[dih-trak-ter] / dɪˈtræk tər /

noun

• detractors
  plural

1. a person who tries to take away from the quality, value, or reputation of someone or something; critic.

   There were strong reactions after the film was screened in Israel, with the public divided between detractors and admirers.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• detractors
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of detractor

First recorded in 1350–1400; from Latin dētractor, equivalent to dētract(us) “drawn away” + -or -or ² ( def. ); see detract ( def. )

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Explanation

A detractor is someone who puts you down. When you're proposing ideas at work, your detractor is the person who finds fault with everything you say. Use the noun detractor for someone who is always critical. You might describe your brother as a detractor of the government if he complains incessantly about taxes, voting, the President, and all the members of Congress. If a person takes a dislike to you in particular, he is your own personal detractor. The origin of detractor goes back to the Latin word detrahere, "take down, pull down, or disparage."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

detractor detractors

He added that Aldi's heavy reliance on packaged, private-label processed foods was a detractor compared to the natural organic options he prefers.

From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026

Moderna was the largest detractor among the 2025 picks, falling about 30%.

From Barron's ● Dec. 12, 2025

A California bill requiring oil companies to set aside funds for the capping of old wells may have an unlikely detractor: Gov. Gavin Newsom.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2023

A 13th was swiftly launched, this time, just between McCarthy and the Democratic leader, and he picked up one more detractor, to 214.

From Washington Times ● Jan. 6, 2023

Downstairs had the same problem, and with the added detractor of being dark, and me without a flashlight.

From "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" by Ransom Riggs

Mr. Musk has provided his detractors with legitimate lines of attack, but when it comes to our most notable figures, even-tempered rationality becomes vital.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

His detractors recoiled at the ostentatious displays, questioned the origins of his money and his political connections, and saw his lifestyle as a stark illustration of inequality.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

Revisiting the movie through this lens offers plenty of important wisdom that its detractors were quick to shrug off.

From Salon ● Oct. 2, 2026

The attention likely spawns detractors as well as conspiracists.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026

The pressure had gotten to him, that’s all Gaines’s detractors could figure.

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger

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Related Words

• critic

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