deleterious
[ del-i-teer-ee-uhs ]
/ ˌdɛl ɪˈtɪər i əs /
adjective
injurious to health: deleterious gases.
harmful; injurious: deleterious influences.
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a person who acts as though he or she knows everything and who dismisses the opinions, comments, or suggestions of others.
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TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUTOrigin 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; see -ious
SYNONYMS FOR deleterious
OTHER WORDS FROM deleterious
Words nearby deleterious
delegation, delegatory, delegitimatize, delegitimize, delete, deleterious, deletion, deleverage, deleveraging, delft, delgado
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for deleterious
British Dictionary definitions for deleterious
deleterious
/ (ˌdɛlɪˈtɪərɪəs) /
adjective
harmful; injurious; hurtful
Derived forms of deleterious
deleteriously, adverbdeleteriousness, nounWord Origin for deleterious
C17: from New Latin dēlētērius, from Greek dēlētērios injurious, destructive, from dēleisthai to hurt
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Medical definitions for deleterious
deleterious
[ dĕl′ĭ-tîr′ē-əs ]
adj.
Having a harmful effect; injurious.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.