deleterious
UK /ˌdɛl.ɪˈtɪə̯.ɹi.əs/ · US /ˌdɛ.ləˈtɪɹ.i.əs/ adjective
Forms deletorious
- adjective (formal) Harmful, often in a subtle or unexpected way. “deleterious effects”
- adjective (genetics) Having lower fitness. “A deleterious mutation”
Synonyms
destructive harmful hurtful injurious noxious pernicious damaging detrimental inimical mischievous nocent nocuous noisome prejudicial scathand scathel sullen venom
Etymology
Adapted borrowing (1640s; 1582 as deletorious) of New Latin dēlētērius, dēlētōrius + -ous, from Ancient Greek δηλητήριος (dēlētḗrios, “noxious, deleterious”), from δηλητήρ (dēlētḗr, “a destroyer”), from δηλέομαι (dēléomai, “I hurt, damage, spoil, waste”). Not related to delete or deleble. Doublet of deletery.
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Hurtful; noxious; destructive; pernicious; as, a deleterious plant or quality; a deleterious example.
Etymology [LL. deleterius noxious, Gr. delere to destroy.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “deleterious”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details