Deleterious
hardNegative tonedel-uh-TEER-ee-us
adjective
Definition
Causing harm or damage; injurious
Memory hook
DELETE-RIOUS: so harmful it should be DELETED — causing damage or harm.
Word roots
Learning roots unlocks whole word families. Study common GRE root words.
Examples
“Smoking has deleterious effects on respiratory health.”
“The deleterious impact of pollution on marine life is well documented.”
Test yourself
Fill in the blank with the right word:
“Smoking has ______ effects on respiratory health.”
Show answer
deleterious
Synonyms
Antonyms
Categories
GRE Tip
Deleterious is a hard-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "harmful" or "injurious" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "beneficial".
Related GRE Words
injurious
Causing or likely to cause damage or harm
baneful
Causing harm or ruin; pernicious; destructive
detrimental
Tending to cause harm; damaging
baleful
Threatening harm; menacing; having a harmful or destructive effect
destructive
Causing great damage or harm; highly damaging
pernicious
Having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way
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