harmful

[hahrm-fuhl] / ˈhɑrm fəl /

ADJECTIVE

injurious, hurtful

Synonyms

STRONGEST

adverse bad catastrophic damaging destructive detrimental disadvantageous disastrous inimical noxious painful pernicious risky ruinous sinful toxic unhealthy unsafe

WEAK

baleful baneful calamitous cataclysmic consumptive corroding corrupting crippling deleterious dire evil harassing incendiary internecine malefic malicious malignant menacing mischievous murderous nocuous pestiferous pestilential sinister subversive undermining unwholesome virulent

Antonyms

STRONGEST

advantageous aiding assisting beneficial favorable fortunate good harmless healthy helpful honest kind lucky profitable safe upright

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

This finding suggests that aging lung tissue itself may be a major driver of harmful inflammation.

From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2026

“The best thing you can say about them is that they weren’t as harmful people thought they would be,” said Scott Lincicome, the vice president of general economics at the Cato Institute in Washington, D.C.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

Raw, or unpasteurized, dairy has not undergone the heating process that kills harmful bacteria while leaving nutrients largely intact.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026

“The tariffs aren’t harmful any longer,” Molly Beerman, Alcoa’s chief financial officer, told investors recently.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

This continental difference in harmful germs resulted paradoxically from the difference in useful livestock.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

harmful

Example Sentences

Related Words