detractor
Americannoun
-
detractors
plural
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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. )
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."
Vocabulary lists containing detractor
Americanized
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Becoming
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Part 1 Vocabulary (Unit 2)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
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
And when you’re talking to a detractor who has renounced the cult of Michael inasmuch as it can be renounced, you’re also insulting them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 16, 2024
It wasn’t immediately clear if he was a supporter or detractor of the Satanic Temple.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 15, 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
These detractors, he said, "have no idea how hopelessly serious the crisis has become" for Okinawa's coral.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
I won’t defend the stock but will point out that the company’s detractors are going too far.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 16, 2026
The Duchess of Sussex is a polarising figure in the UK, provoking strong reactions among her supporters and her detractors.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
Since then, opposition to the program has grown, with detractors pointing to examples of people entering diversion and then going on to commit more serious crimes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
Let your detractors watch as you arise anew.
From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
