deleterious

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˌdɛləˈtɪriəs/ UK /ˌdɛlɪˈtɪəriəs/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
causing harm or damage, especially gradually

Smoking has well-documented deleterious effects on health.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · causing harm or damage,... harmful damaging injurious detrimental destructive noxious pernicious baneful

Opposites

beneficial helpful salutary advantageous wholesome

Word family

Derived forms deleteriouslydeleteriousness

Etymology

From Medieval Latin deleterius, from Greek dēlētērios ('noxious, destructive'), from dēlēter ('destroyer'), from dēleisthai ('to hurt, injure').

dēlētērios Ancient Greek dēleisthai Ancient Greek

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# deleterious

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˌdɛləˈtɪriəs/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌdɛlɪˈtɪəriəs/

## Meanings
1. causing harm or damage, especially gradually

## Examples
- Smoking has well-documented deleterious effects on health.

## Synonyms
- harmful
- damaging
- injurious
- detrimental
- destructive
- noxious
- pernicious
- baneful

## Antonyms
- beneficial
- helpful
- salutary
- advantageous
- wholesome

## Derived Forms
- deleteriously
- deleteriousness

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: dēlētērios
- Root: dēleisthai

## Etymology
From Medieval Latin deleterius, from Greek dēlētērios ('noxious, destructive'), from dēlēter ('destroyer'), from dēleisthai ('to hurt, injure').

## AI Etymology
Deleterious comes from Medieval Latin deleterius, from Greek dēlētērios ('noxious, destructive'), from dēlēter ('destroyer'), from dēleisthai ('to hurt, injure'). The historical trail runs through Ancient Greek dēlētērios and Ancient Greek dēleisthai. In modern use it means causing harm or damage, especially gradually. Derived formations include deleteriously, deleteriousness.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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