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detract

 
Dictionary: de·tract   (dĭ-trăkt') pronunciation

v., -tract·ed, -tract·ing, -tracts.

v.tr.
  1. To draw or take away; divert: They could detract little from so solid an argument.
  2. Archaic. To speak ill of; belittle.
v.intr.
To reduce the value, importance, or quality of something. Often used with from: testimony that only detracts from the strength of the plaintiff's case.

[Middle English detracten, from Latin dētrahere, dētract-, to remove : dē-, de- + trahere, to pull. Sense 2, from Latin dētractāre, frequentative of dētrahere, to take away.]

detractor de·trac'tor n.

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Thesaurus: detract
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also detract from

verb

    To think, represent, or speak of as small or unimportant: belittle, decry, denigrate, deprecate, depreciate, derogate, discount, disparage, downgrade, minimize, run down, slight, talk down. Idioms: makelightlittleof. See attack/defend, show/hide.

phrasal verb - detract from

    To spoil the soundness or perfection of: blemish, damage, disserve, flaw, harm, hurt, impair, injure, mar, prejudice, tarnish, vitiate. See better/worse, help/harm/harmless.

Antonyms: detract
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v

Definition: take away a part; lessen
Antonyms: add to, increase, optimize


Word Tutor: detract
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pronunciation

IN BRIEF: To take away in such manner as to lessen value.

pronunciation Her makeup detracted from her natural beauty.

Translations: Detract
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Dansk (Danish)
v. tr. - aflede, bortlede
v. intr. - mindske, nedsætte, forklejne

Nederlands (Dutch)
afbreuk doen, afnemen

Français (French)
v. tr. - diminuer, porter atteinte à (la réputation)
v. intr. - diminuer (le mérite), porter atteinte à (une réputation)

Deutsch (German)
v. - beeinträchtigen, schmälern

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - αφαιρώ, μειώνω, δυσφημώ, συκοφαντώ

Italiano (Italian)
detrarre, diminuire

Português (Portuguese)
v. - separar, diminuir, depreciar

Русский (Russian)
лишать, умалять

Español (Spanish)
v. tr. - desvirtuar, quitar, disminuir, denigrar, distraer
v. intr. - quitar

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - avleda, - from: förringa

中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
转移, 减损, 使分心, 诋毁, 降低

中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
v. tr. - 轉移, 減損, 使分心, 詆毀
v. intr. - 減損, 降低

한국어 (Korean)
v. tr. - (관심을) 다른 곳으로 돌리다
v. intr. - 떨어지다, 나쁘게 평하다

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - そらす, そこなう, けなす

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) يجعل شئ يبدو أقل جودة أو قيمه‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. tr. - ‮זלזל, פגם, גרע, הפחית‬
v. intr. - ‮זלזל, פגם, גרע‬


 
 
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derogate
belittle
discredit

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Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
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