Synonyms

detract

American

[dih-trakt] / dɪˈtrækt /

verb (used without object)

to take away a part, as from quality, value, or reputation (usually followed byfrom ).

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.

detract British

/ dɪˈtrækt /

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

Detract is sometimes wrongly used where distract is meant: a noise distracted (not detracted ) my attention

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

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”; see 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.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing detract

Abraham Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address" (1863)

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Grade 9, List 6

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"The Gettysburg Address," Vocabulary from the speech

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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.

It would detract from a key virtue of Eurobonds in a country’s financing mix: simplicity, for issuers and for investors.

From Barron's • Jun. 23, 2026

Should they detract from her advice, when maybe hearing “I have a good kid” could really help someone?

From Slate • May 10, 2026

The film’s vintage patina doesn’t detract from rising actor Will Price’s confident performance as an immature mobster who prefers bitcoin to stacks of Benjamins.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 30, 2026

Diana said Tuesday that the counteroffer didn’t provide any financial details and dismissed it as a tactic to detract from its own takeover bid.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026

Sadly, this fear was shared by some of their own constituents and supporters who believed that the union of both would weaken or detract from the strength of each movement.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023