detrimental

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   Causing damage or harm.

   Smoking tobacco can be detrimental to your health.

2. 2
   noun

   Anything harmful.

   The definition of a parasite is a microbe that lives in you or on you to its benefit and to your detriment. In other words, the detrimentals suck the life out of you.

3. 3
   adj

   (sometimes followed by `to') causing harm or injury

Etymology

From Medieval Latin *dētrīmentālis, from Latin dētrīmentum (“harm”), from dēterō (“to rub off, wear”), from dē- (“down, away”) + terō (“to rub or grab”).