deleterious

Adjective
US[del-uh-tir-ee-uhs]/ˌdɛləˈtɪriəs/5 syllables
Synonyms: hurtfulinjurious

Open English WordNet

Adjective (1)

  1. harmful to living things“deleterious chemical additives”Synonyms: hurtfulinjuriousOpposite harmlessSimilar harmful
Word of the day · Oct 17About this word

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Webster's Dictionary (1913)

Del′e·te′ri·ous adjective

Origin: LL. deleterius noxious, Gr. δηλητήριος, fr. δηλεῖσθαι to hurt, damage; prob. akin to L. delere to destroy.

Hurtful; noxious; destructive; pernicious; as, a deleterious plant or quality; a deleterious example. — Del′wb-a2′>′e·te′wb-a1′>′ri·ous·ly, adverb — Del′wb-a2′>′e·te′wb-a1′>′ri·ous·ness, noun

Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54

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