detractor
Americannoun
-
detractors
plural
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of detractor
First recorded in 1350–1400; from Latin dētractor, equivalent to dētract(us) “drawn away” + -or -or 2 ( def. ); see detract ( def. )
Explanation
A detractor is someone who puts you down. When you're proposing ideas at work, your detractor is the person who finds fault with everything you say. Use the noun detractor for someone who is always critical. You might describe your brother as a detractor of the government if he complains incessantly about taxes, voting, the President, and all the members of Congress. If a person takes a dislike to you in particular, he is your own personal detractor. The origin of detractor goes back to the Latin word detrahere, "take down, pull down, or disparage."
Vocabulary lists containing detractor
Americanized
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Becoming
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Part 1 Vocabulary (Unit 2)
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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.
See Examples For:
He added that Aldi's heavy reliance on packaged, private-label processed foods was a detractor compared to the natural organic options he prefers.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
Moderna was the largest detractor among the 2025 picks, falling about 30%.
From Barron's ● Dec. 12, 2025
It wasn’t immediately clear if he was a supporter or detractor of the Satanic Temple.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 15, 2023
A California bill requiring oil companies to set aside funds for the capping of old wells may have an unlikely detractor: Gov. Gavin Newsom.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2023
Downstairs had the same problem, and with the added detractor of being dark, and me without a flashlight.
From "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" by Ransom Riggs
Attention came so quickly that Dangerfield felt the need to defend against online detractors who were convinced the group was an industry plant.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026
His detractors recoiled at the ostentatious displays, questioned the origins of his money and his political connections, and saw his lifestyle as a stark illustration of inequality.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
Anderson’s original “Resident Evil” film franchise, the writer-director — known for his abrasive, nu-metal vulgar auteurism — raises a middle finger of sorts to his detractors.
From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026
Tesla’s hyperminimalist approach to human factors is not without its detractors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026
In general, I felt as if I couldn’t win, that no amount of faith or hard work would push me past my detractors and their attempts to invalidate me.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
