Detrimental
mediumNegative tonedet-ruh-MEN-tul
adjective
Definition
Tending to cause harm; damaging
Memory hook
DETRI-MENTAL: causing DETRIMENT — harmful to your mental or physical state.
Word roots
Learning roots unlocks whole word families. Study common GRE root words.
Examples
“Excessive screen time can be detrimental to children's development.”
“The policy change proved detrimental to small businesses.”
Test yourself
Fill in the blank with the right word:
“Excessive screen time can be ______ to children's development.”
Show answer
detrimental
Synonyms
Antonyms
Categories
GRE Tip
Detrimental is a medium-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
deleterious
Causing harm or damage; injurious
adverse
Preventing success or development; harmful or unfavorable
noxious
Harmful, poisonous, or very unpleasant
baneful
Causing harm or ruin; pernicious; destructive
destructive
Causing great damage or harm; highly damaging
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