deleterious

English

WOTD – 13 November 2007

Etymology

From Ancient Greek δηλητήριος (dēlētḗrios, “noxious, deleterious”), from δηλητήρ (dēlētḗr, “a destroyer”), from δηλέομαι (dēléomai, “I hurt, damage, spoil, waste”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌdɛlɪˈtɪəɹi.əs/, /ˌdɪlɪˈtɪəɹi.əs/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌdɛləˈtɪɹi.əs/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪəriəs

Adjective

deleterious (comparative more deleterious, superlative most deleterious)

1. Harmful often in a subtle or unexpected way.

   deleterious effects

   deleterious to someone's health

   • 1850, Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter – Chapter XV:

     Or might it suffice him, that every wholesome growth should be converted into something deleterious and malignant at his touch?

Synonyms

• (harmful): destructive, harmful, hurtful, injurious, noxious, pernicious; see also Wikisaurus:harmful

Derived terms

• deleteriously

Related terms

• delete
• deletion
• deletory

Translations

harmful

• Belarusian: шкоднасны (škodnasny)
• Bulgarian: вреден (bg) (vreden)
• Catalan: deleteri
• Dutch: schadelijk (nl)
• French: délétère (fr)
• Italian: deleterio (it)
• Polish: szkodliwy (pl)

• Portuguese: deletério (pt)
• Romanian: deleter (ro), vătămător (ro), nociv (ro), dăunător (ro)
• Russian: вре́дный (ru) (vrédnyj), вредоно́сный (ru) (vredonósnyj)
• Scottish Gaelic: sgriosail
• Spanish: deletéreo (es)
• Swedish: menlig (sv)

Further reading

• deleterious at OneLook Dictionary Search