deleterious
/ˌdɛ.ləˈtɪɹ.i.əs/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 2.72 in modern English
12
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
5
Syllables
9
Unique Chars
Meaning
Example Sentences
- "deleterious effects"
- "deleterious to someone's health"
- "Or might it suffice him, that every wholesome growth should be converted into something deleterious and malignant at his touch?"
- "A trolleybus service was established by the London Passenger Transport Board between North Woolwich and Stratford on February 6, 1938, and had a deleterious effect on railway passenger traffic."
- "The advent of the smartphone and its cousin the tablet was followed quickly by hand-wringing about the deleterious effects of “screen time.” But the impact of these devices has not been fully appreciated, and goes far beyond the usual concerns about curtailed attention spans."
- "A deleterious mutation"
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 or deleble. Doublet of deletery.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˌdɛ.ləˈtɪɹ.i.əs/
- British English: /ˌdɛl.ɪˈtɪə̯.ɹi.əs/