Definition of detrimentnext
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as in disadvantage
the negative result caused by something that creates difficulty for achieving success the requirement that runners wear shoes for the race worked to his detriment since he was used to running barefoot

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of detriment Judaism teaches that human beings are not inherently sinful, destructive or a detriment to the world. — Meir Moscowitz, Chicago Tribune, 7 Sep. 2026 Chris Koch, president of the Hyde Park Neighborhood Association, told the commission that the building’s current conditions have been a severe detriment to the neighborhood and that the project would be transformative. — Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2026 An application for a gun range and store has sparked a debate in Walnut Creek over whether the new business would be a benefit or detriment to the city. — Sierra Lopez, Mercury News, 24 Aug. 2026 Our home-cook-friendly version skips this days-long steeping process with no detriment. — Nick Wong, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for detriment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detriment
Noun
  • El Sayed acknowledged that both Israel and Iran could cause harm but refused twice to rank one as the greater threat.
    — Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Duhamel and Asprey also discussed the FDA’s black box warning on testosterone, which has been in place since the 1970s and signals that a drug could cause serious harm.
    — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 8 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • As the lone charter school playing at the highest level of Public League football, Bulls Prep has some disadvantages, such as no true practice field.
    — Mike McGraw, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026
  • And while youth unemployment has not dramatically spiked yet, executives like TIAA CEO Thasunda Brown Duckett have ultimately warned that young workers who fail to adapt to AI could find themselves at a disadvantage.
    — Preston Fore, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The region's head said earlier Friday that there had been an attack on the town, but that there had been no damage.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Darren Bailey, the Republican nominee for governor, criticized Pritzker for taking too long to respond to the storms, which did considerable damage to several areas, including the southern suburbs.
    — Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 9 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The area might feel a bit buttoned-up and corporate for vacationers, but those in Abu Dhabi for work will be within a stone's throw of some of the city's best power-lunch and expense-account-dinner establishments.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • For example, an advance provisioning allowance is a deposit used to pay variable expenses, including fuel, food, drinks and marina fees, with any unused balance returned.
    — Christoph Lymbersky, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • How Doctors Diagnose and Treat It Health care providers use the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders to classify trypanophobia as a specific phobia of the blood-injection-injury type.
    — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 8 Oct. 2026
  • But with nearly half of the roster sidelined because of injuries or resting, Adou Thiero at least tried to inject some life into a sleepy preseason back-to-back.
    — Senior Editor, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Detriment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detriment. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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