adjective
- injurious to health: deleterious gases.
- harmful; injurious: deleterious influences.
adjective
- harmful; injurious; hurtful
1640s, from Medieval Latin deleterius, from Greek deleterios “noxious,” from deleter “destroyer,” from deleisthai “to hurt, injure.” Related: Deleteriously; deleteriousness.
adj.
- Having a harmful effect; injurious.