Word: deleterious (adjective)

Associations

"Deleterious" means harmful or damaging, especially in a way that is not easily noticed at first. It is often used in formal or scientific contexts to describe something that causes harm to health, environment, or well-being.

• The chemicals in the factory waste had deleterious effects on the river's ecosystem. (Here, "deleterious" shows that the chemicals harmed the river.)
• Smoking has deleterious consequences for your lungs and overall health. (Smoking causes damage that may not be immediately obvious.)
• The new policy could have deleterious impacts on small businesses. (The policy might harm small businesses.) A well-known synonym is "harmful." The difference is that "deleterious" is more formal and often used in scientific or serious contexts, while "harmful" is more common and general.

Substitution

You can replace "deleterious" with:

• harmful (more common, less formal)
• damaging (focuses on causing damage)
• injurious (more formal, often about physical harm)
• adverse (usually about negative effects) Changing the word might change the tone. For example, "harmful" is simpler, while "deleterious" sounds more serious or technical.

Deconstruction

The root of "deleterious" comes from the Greek word "deleterios," meaning "destructive." It entered English through Latin. The suffix "-ous" means "full of" or "having the quality of." So "deleterious" literally means "full of harm" or "causing harm."

Inquiry

• Can you think of any habits or things in your life that might have deleterious effects?
• How would you explain the difference between "deleterious" and "harmful" to a friend?
• In what situations would it be better to use "deleterious" instead of simpler words like "bad" or "harmful"?