detract
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
-
to draw away or divert; distract.
to detract another's attention from more important issues.
-
Archaic. to take away (a part); abate.
The dilapidated barn detracts charm from the landscape.
verb
-
to take away a part (of); diminish
her anger detracts from her beauty
-
(tr) to distract or divert
-
obsolete (tr) to belittle or disparage
Usage
Detract is sometimes wrongly used where distract is meant: a noise distracted (not detracted ) my attention
Other Word Forms
- detractingly adverb
- detractive adjective
- detractively adverb
- detractor noun
- undetracting adjective
- undetractingly adverb
Etymology
Origin of detract
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Middle French detracter or directly from Latin dētractus “drawn away” (past participle of dētrahere ), equivalent to dē- de- + tractus “drawn”; tract 1
Explanation
If you detract from something — like an achievement or an opinion or an object — you take away some of its value or diminish it. That dent in the door of your car may detract from its overall value. The verb detract comes from the Latin word detrahere, meaning “draw away from,” or “take down.” If you detract from someone’s credibility, you reduce — or take down — that person's worth. When you make valid points opposing an argument a politician is making, you detract from her platform. Detract can also describe drawing attention away from something. If the politician then makes a public display of her humanity, she's trying to detract attention away from your arguments.
Vocabulary lists containing detract
Abraham Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address" (1863)
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Grade 9, List 6
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"The Gettysburg Address," Vocabulary from the speech
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Investors want to make sure that ServiceNow’s recent acquisitions don’t detract from its focus on organic growth.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
The day-to-day volatility comes with the territory, analysts at Citi say, but it shouldn’t detract investors from buying Nebius.
From Barron's • Mar. 17, 2026
While the show loosely follows a story, I didn’t always find it easy to follow, though that didn’t detract from the experience.
From Salon • Mar. 7, 2026
The question is entertaining, on an academic level, but also largely immaterial, and should not detract from the scale of Verstappen's achievement.
From BBC • Nov. 9, 2025
“Nice of you to turn up, Potter, although you have evidently decided that the wearing of school robes would detract from your appearance.”
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
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.
