deleterious

[ del-i-teer-ee-uhs ]
See synonyms for deleterious on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. injurious to health: deleterious gases.

  2. harmful; injurious: deleterious influences.

Origin of deleterious

1
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

Other words for deleterious

Opposites for deleterious

Other words from deleterious

  • del·e·te·ri·ous·ly, adverb
  • del·e·te·ri·ous·ness, noun
  • non·del·e·te·ri·ous, adjective
  • non·del·e·te·ri·ous·ly, adverb
  • non·del·e·te·ri·ous·ness, noun
  • un·del·e·te·ri·ous, adjective
  • un·del·e·te·ri·ous·ly, adverb
  • un·del·e·te·ri·ous·ness, noun

Words Nearby deleterious

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How to use deleterious in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for deleterious

deleterious

/ (ˌdɛlɪˈtɪərɪəs) /


adjective
  1. harmful; injurious; hurtful

Origin of deleterious

1
C17: from New Latin dēlētērius, from Greek dēlētērios injurious, destructive, from dēleisthai to hurt

Derived forms of deleterious

  • deleteriously, adverb
  • deleteriousness, noun

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