# detract

/dɪˈtɹækt/ (US) · /dɪtɹˈækt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/detract
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. to reduce quality or value

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to make something seem less good or less important.

For teachers: to diminish the worth, quality, or importance of something; almost always used intransitively with the preposition 'from'.

- The small scratch on the table does not detract from its overall beauty.
- While the technical glitches were minor, they did detract from the overall impact of the keynote presentation.

Usage: Usually functions as an intransitive verb followed by the preposition 'from'.

Teaching tip: Learners often confuse this with 'distract'; remind them that 'detract' is about value, while 'distract' is about attention.

### 2. to criticize or defame

verb · CEFR C2 · Formal · Literary

to say bad things about someone to make them lose respect.

For teachers: to take away credit or reputation from a person or achievement; to derogate or decry.

- Critics tried to detract his success by focusing on his early failures.
- The political campaign sought to detract the candidate's reputation through a series of coordinated character attacks.

Usage: Used transitively when the object is a person's reputation or character.

Teaching tip: This transitive use is much rarer in modern English than the intransitive 'detract from' construction.

## Examples

- The messy room detracts from the beautiful view.
- While the performance was technically perfect, the poor acoustics of the hall began to detract from the audience's enjoyment.
- 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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.