ENGLISH
REFERENCE

detract

v.
C1 Advanced US //dɪˈtɹækt// UK //dɪtɹˈækt// de·tract

v. to make something seem less good, valuable, or impressive. It is often used when one small bad thing spoils a larger good thing.

v. to diminish the worth, quality, or reputation of something. Typically describes a specific flaw or action that reduces the overall effectiveness of a subject.


SIMPLE

The messy room detracts from the beautiful view.

CONTEXTUAL

While the performance was technically perfect, the poor acoustics of the hall began to detract from the audience's enjoyment.

COMPLEX

Scholars argue that the author's frequent use of jargon tends to detract from the clarity of his central thesis, making an otherwise compelling argument difficult for laypeople to follow.

Origin

Borrowed from Middle French détracter, from Latin detractum, past participle of detraho.

Usage

Intransitive; almost always used with the preposition 'from'.

Pitfall

The noise detracts the beauty of the park.The noise detracts from the beauty of the park.Detract is an intransitive verb in this sense and requires the preposition 'from' before the object.

© 2026 English Reference