English Reference
Word adjective

detrimental

adj.
US /ˌdɛtɹəˈmɛnəɫ/ UK /dˌɛtɹɪmˈɛntəl/ detri·men·tal
Definition
  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate Formal

    causing harm or damage to something.

    causing damage, harm, or disadvantage. Often used with the preposition 'to'.

    Simple

    “Too much stress can be detrimental to your physical health.”

    In context

    “The new trade regulations proved detrimental to small businesses, which lacked the capital to absorb the increased administrative costs.”

    Usage

    Commonly follows the verb 'to be' and precedes the preposition 'to'.

    Pitfall
    Smoking is detrimental for your health. Smoking is detrimental to your health.

    The adjective 'detrimental' almost always takes the preposition 'to', not 'for'.

    Synonyms
    harmfuldamagingdeleterious
    Antonyms
    beneficialhelpful

Usage detrimental effect

Real-world usage

“Certain emotions were so detrimental to health that they could cause sudden illnesses, or even death.”

Aeon· 10 Sept 2026

“But this advice may actually be detrimental - so what can help women cope with their luteal phase symptoms?”

BBC News· 3 Aug 2026
Etymology

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

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Latin dētrīmentum
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated