Detrimental – tending to cause harm

(Pronounced deh-truh-men-tuhl)

To remember the definition of the word detrimental, use the following mnemonic:

Being debt-ridden meant all (detrimental) the criminals were after him, and they tended to cause harm.

Examples of detrimental in a sentence

Eating too much sugar is thought to be detrimental to your teeth.

Keeping horses in their stables all day long is detrimental to their physical and mental wellbeing. 

He knew skipping classes was detrimental to his education, so he always went to school.