harmful
[hahrm-fuh l]
- causing or capable of causing harm; injurious: a harmful idea; a harmful habit.
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Origin of harmful
Synonyms
See more synonyms for harmful on Thesaurus.comhurtful, detrimental, damaging, deleterious.
Antonyms
beneficial.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for harmful
Contemporary Examples
So why are we continually inundated with images and hate speech perpetuating this harmful lie?
It will likely be harmful to the reputations of both the president and vice president.
Another act, however, may be considered immoral not because it is harmful but because it evinces disloyalty.
From a pediatric ICU in Melbourne, Australia, to an elevator in Brooklyn, we see just how harmful refusing to vaccinate can be.
Studies revealed that exposure to harmful UV rays could cause wrinkles and other signs of aging, as well as skin cancer.
Historical Examples
Corporal punishment of schoolboys is only useless and harmful brutality.
The Sexual QuestionAugust Forel
These are the persons who do the most harm in society, and introduce into it the most harmful taints.
The Sexual QuestionAugust Forel
Dirt, in the ordinary sense of the word, is not harmful to a sound skin.
The Meaning of EvolutionSamuel Christian Schmucker
What other wild animals or harmful insects have you on this planet?
Usually we think of explosions as harmful, and they often are, of course.
Common ScienceCarleton W. Washburne
harmful
- causing or tending to cause harm; injurious
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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
Word Origin and History for harmful
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper