deleterious

Meaning

1. (formal) Harmful, often in a subtle or unexpected way.
2. Having lower fitness.

Synonyms

harmful

injurious

noxious

hurtful

detrimental

maleficent

damaging

bad

👎

malignant

baneful

malign

wasting

baleful

corrosive

malefic

noisome

offensive

pernicious

prejudicial

Translations

délétère

deletéreo

deleterio

nocivo

schädlich

nuisible

schadelijk

perjudicial

deletério

deleteri

dañoso

βλαβερός

nocif

nocivo

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˌdɛlɪˈtɪəɹi.əs/

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. Doublet of deletery.