detrimental

detrimental — adjective

1. producing damage or injury, especially when the harm is gradual or arises as an

1.形容詞B2
釋義

producing damage or injury, especially when the harm is gradual or arises as an unintended side effect — for instance, a habit that slowly hurts your health, or a policy that weakens an industry over time.

例句

The doctor warned Min that a diet high in sugar was detrimental to her long-term health.

detrimental to + noun phrase for health-related harm

Smoking is detrimental to both the smoker and the people around them.

同義詞
  • harmful

    The most direct everyday synonym; less formal than detrimental and works well with or without a following phrase

  • damaging

    Emphasises physical or material harm; stronger emotional weight than detrimental

  • injurious

    Very formal; common in legal, medical, or insurance contexts (injurious to public health)

反義詞
  • beneficial

    The direct opposite; describes something that produces positive effects

文法句型

be detrimental to + noun phrase

have a detrimental effect/impact on + noun phrase

用法筆記

More formal than harmful or damaging. When specifying what is harmed, detrimental is almost always followed by to. It also frequently appears directly before nouns such as effect, impact, or consequences (a detrimental effect). Avoid using detrimental alone without a following phrase — in such positions harmful sounds more natural.

常見錯誤

❌This chemical is detrimental the soil.
✅This chemical is detrimental to the soil.
💡detrimental must be followed by to when the target of harm is stated.
❌The new rule is very detrimental.
✅The new rule is very harmful.
💡detrimental sounds unnatural when used alone without specifying what it harms; harmful works better as a standalone adjective.