harmful


Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
Related to harmful: unharmful

harm·ful

 (härm′fəl)
adj.
Causing or capable of causing harm; injurious.

harm′ful·ly adv.
harm′ful·ness n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

harmful

(ˈhɑːmfʊl)
adj
causing or tending to cause harm; injurious
ˈharmfully adv
ˈharmfulness n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

harm•ful

(ˈhɑrm fəl)

adj.
causing or capable of causing harm; injurious.
[before 1000]
harm′ful•ly, adv.
harm′ful•ness, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

harmful

  • catalytic converter - A device with a catalyst for converting pollutant gases into less harmful ones.
  • allergen - Though allergens are not harmful themselves, when they are combined with certain antibodies, a reaction (i.e. the allergy) liberates substances that damage body cells and tissues.
  • intrigant - A person who plots something illicit or harmful.
  • nocuous - Meaning "harmful, noxious," it is based on Latin nocere, "to hurt."
Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.

harmful

If something is harmful to someone or harmful for them, it has a bad effect on them.

Too much salt can be harmful to a young baby.
Potassium could be harmful for those with impaired kidneys.

You can also say that something is harmful to a thing.

Excessive amounts may be harmful to the skin.
Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Adj.1.harmful - causing or capable of causing harm; "too much sun is harmful to the skin"; "harmful effects of smoking"
disadvantageous - constituting a disadvantage
malign - evil or harmful in nature or influence; "prompted by malign motives"; "believed in witches and malign spirits"; "gave him a malign look"; "a malign lesion"
destructive - causing destruction or much damage; "a policy that is destructive to the economy"; "destructive criticism"
noxious - injurious to physical or mental health; "noxious chemical wastes"; "noxious ideas"
offensive - causing anger or annoyance; "offensive remarks"
painful - causing physical or psychological pain; "worked with painful slowness"
toxic - of or relating to or caused by a toxin or poison; "suffering from exposure to toxic substances"
unwholesome - detrimental to physical or moral well-being; "unwholesome food"; "unwholesome habits like smoking"
harmless - not causing or capable of causing harm; "harmless bacteria"; "rendered the bomb harmless"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

harmful

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

harmful

adjective
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
ضَارّمُضِر، مُؤْذٍ
škodlivý
skadelig
vahingollinen
štetanškodanškodljiv
ártalmas
skaîlegur
有害な
유해한
škodljiv
skadlig
เป็นอันตราย
có hại

harmful

[ˈhɑːmfʊl] ADJ [substance, chemical] → dañino, nocivo; [effects, consequences] → perjudicial, pernicioso; (to reputation) → perjudicial (to para) tobacco is harmful to the healthel tabaco perjudica seriamente la salud
the chemical is not harmful to plantsel producto químico no es nocivo para or no daña las plantas
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

harmful

[ˈhɑːrmfʊl] adj [substance, bacteria] → nuisible; [effects] → nuisible
harmful chemicals → des produits chimiques nuisibles
to be harmful to sb/sth (physically)nuire à qn/qch
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

harmful

adjschädlich (to für); remarksverletzend; harmful to one’s healthgesundheitsschädlich
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

harmful

[ˈhɑːmfʊl] adj harmful (to)dannoso/a (a), nocivo/a (a)
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

harm

(haːm) noun
damage; injury; distress. I'll make sure you come to no harm; He meant no harm; It'll do you no harm to go.
verb
to cause (a person) harm. There's no need to be frightened – he won't harm you.
ˈharmful adjective
doing harm. Medicines can be harmful if you take too much of them.
ˈharmless adjective
not dangerous or liable to cause harm. Don't be frightened of that snake – it's harmless.
ˈharmlessly adverb
ˈharmlessness noun
out of harm's way
in a safe place. I'll put this glass vase out of harm's way, so that it doesn't get broken.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

harmful

ضَارّ škodlivý skadelig schädlich επιβλαβής nocivo vahingollinen nuisible štetan dannoso 有害な 유해한 schadelijk skadelig szkodliwy prejudicial вредный skadlig เป็นอันตราย zararlı có hại 有害的
Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009

harmful

a. perjudicial, dañino-a.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

harmful

adj nocivo, dañino
English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
References in classic literature ?
I have an adored, a priceless mother, and two or three friends- you among them- and as for the rest I only care about them in so far as they are harmful or useful.
The illiberality of parents, in allowance towards their children, is an harmful error; makes them base; acquaints them with shifts; makes them sort with mean company; and makes them surfeit more when they come to plenty.
He could not be persuaded to do a thing while it could do any good--he was iron, he was adamant in his stubbornness then--but as soon as the thing had reached a point where it would be positively harmful to do it, do it he would, and nothing could stop him.
"If I did harmful or silly things, I'd thank you for telling me of them, and I'd try to mend my ways," answered Rose heartily.
"So is smoking, but it is harmful. The writers of these popular stories intend to do good, I have no doubt, but it seems to me they fail because their motto is, 'Be smart, and you will be rich,' instead of 'Be honest, and you will be happy.' I do not judge hastily, Alec, for I have read a dozen, at least, of these stories, and, with much that is attractive to boys, I find a great deal to condemn in them, and other parents say the same when I ask them."
And what if it so happens that a man's advantage, sometimes, not only may, but even must, consist in his desiring in certain cases what is harmful to himself and not advantageous.
He looked on this spiritual exercise as a harmful and dangerous abuse of the fancy.
A Consultant Ophthalmologist, Dr Olubusayo Adejumo, says the application of harmful traditional eye medications contributes to preventable blindness in children.
In order to direct efforts towards reducing the negative effects of harmful consumption patterns, the Ministry of Finance announced the details of the amendment of Cabinet Resolution No.
DUBAI, 21th August, 2019 (WAM) -- In order to direct efforts towards reducing the negative effects of harmful consumption patterns, the Ministry of Finance announced the details of the amendment of Cabinet Resolution No.
Consequently, it can cause harmful effects on the environment.