deleterious
[ del-i-teer-ee-uhs ]
/ ˌdɛl ɪˈtɪər i əs /
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adjective
injurious to health: deleterious gases.
harmful; injurious: deleterious influences.
SYNONYMS FOR deleterious
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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; see -ious
OTHER WORDS FROM deleterious
Words nearby deleterious
delegation, delegatory, delegitimize, de Lesseps, delete, deleterious, deletion, deleverage, deleveraging, delft, Delgado
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
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.