detriment
UK: ˈdɛtrɪmənt | US: ˈdɛtrəmənt
n. 1. A cause of harm or damage.
n. 2. The state of being harmed or damaged.
detriment = detri<wear away> + ment<noun suffix>
- detri (from Latin deterere, meaning "to wear away" or "damage")
- ment (a noun-forming suffix indicating an action or resulting state, from Latin -mentum)
Etymology Origin:
The word "detriment" traces back to Latin detrimentum, derived from deterere ("to wear down" or "impair"). The root detri reflects the idea of gradual erosion or harm, while -ment transforms it into a noun denoting the result of that action. Over time, it evolved in Middle English (via Old French) to broadly signify harm or disadvantage, retaining its core logic of progressive damage.
Smoking is a serious detriment to your health.
The new policy worked to the detriment of small businesses.
Lack of sleep can be a detriment to academic performance.
The scandal caused significant detriment to his reputation.
Ignoring maintenance will result in long-term detriment to the machinery.