deleterious

From Medieval Latin deleterius, from Ancient Greek δηλητήριος (dēlētḗrios, “noxious, deleterious”), from δηλητήρ (dēlētḗr, “a destroyer”), from δηλέομαι (dēléomai, “I hurt, damage, spoil, waste”), 1640s.[1]

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

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• Rhymes: -ɪəriəs

deleterious (comparative more deleterious, superlative most deleterious)

1. Harmful often in a subtle or unexpected way.

   Synonyms: destructive, harmful, hurtful, injurious, noxious, pernicious; see also Thesaurus:harmful

   deleterious effects

   deleterious to someone's health

   • 1850, Nathaniel Hawthorne, “chapter XV”, in The Scarlet Letter:

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

   • 2017 September, Jean M. Twenge, “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?”, in The Atlantic‎:

     The advent of the smartphone and its cousin the tablet was followed quickly by hand-wringing about the deleterious effects of “screen time.” But the impact of these devices has not been fully appreciated, and goes far beyond the usual concerns about curtailed attention spans.

• deleteriously
• deleteriousness

• delete
• deletion
• deletory

• deleterious at OneLook Dictionary Search
• deleterious in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• “deleterious” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary, 2001–2019.