Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

detract

/dɪˈtɹækt/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.01 in modern English

Syllables: de-tract
IPA: /dɪˈtɹækt/

10

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To take away; to withdraw or remove.

Intransitive verb

verb

To take credit or reputation from; to derogate; to defame or decry.

Transitive verb

Example Sentences

"The improvement here patented consists in so arranging the parts of an ever pointed pencil case, that the point which holds the pencil shall be obtruded and detracted without having a slot in the side, which a ferrule and pin to draw it down, as is ordinarily done."
"The Conan O’Brien-penned half-hour has the capacity to rip our collective hearts out the way the cute, funny bad girl next door does to Bart when she reveals that her new boyfriend is Jimbo Jones, but the show keeps shying away from genuine emotion in favor of jokes that, while overwhelmingly funny, detract from the poignancy and the emotional intimacy of the episode."
"That calumnious critic […] / Detracting what laboriously we do."

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French détracter, from Latin detractum, past participle of detraho.

Origin

Source language: Middle French

Word Breakdown

Root: détracter, detractum

Regional Pronunciation

British English: /dɪˈtɹækt/

Usage

Inflected Forms

detracts (present, singular) detracting (participle, present) detracted (participle, past) detracted (past)

Derived Forms

detractable detraction detractive detractor

Phrases

take away from

Frequently Paired Words

take away from

Synonyms

badmouth defame decry derogate assassinate asperse backbite befoul belibel besmirch besmear bewray

Rhymes With

fact act impact attacked exact packed backed attract react abstract interact cracked

Questions

How do you pronounce detract?: The recorded pronunciation is /dɪˈtɹækt/.
What does detract mean?: To take away; to withdraw or remove.
Where does detract come from?: It is traced to Middle French.

How to pronounce detract

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “detract”.
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