Meaning & use
deleterious
Causing harm or damage, often in a way that is not immediately obvious.
See it in a sentence
Long-term stress can have deleterious effects on both physical and mental health.
The committee warned that the new policy could have a deleterious impact on small businesses.
A note on using this word
Deleterious is a formal word favored in academic and scientific writing, usually paired with 'effect on' or 'impact on.'
Words with a similar meaning
harmfuldetrimental
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
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