Standard Lemma guide

detract

verb · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /dɪˈtɹækt/
  • rhymes with -ækt
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: D IH0 T R AE1 K T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To take away; to withdraw or remove.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To take credit or reputation from; to derogate; to defame or decry.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: badmouth, defame, decry, derogate, assassinate, asperse, backbite, befoul, belibel, besmirch, besmear, bewray, blacken, blame, blaze, blemish, blot, blur, calumniate, calumny, chat shit, chat shite, cloud, demonize, denigrate, deprave, depreciate, detract, dirty, discredit, disgrace, disparage, disrepute, diss, drag through the mud, forgab, forspeak, foul, infamize, lampoon, libel, malign, monsterize, muddy, reproach, revile, scandal, shit-talk, slag, slander, smear, smirch, spatter, spot, speak ill of, stab, stain, sully, talk shit, talk shite, talk trash, tarnish, torch, traduce, trash-talk, unflatter, vilify, vilipend, villainize, wrong

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

take away a part from; diminish

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • His bad manners detract from his good character

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: take away

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: reduce, cut down, cut back, trim, trim down, trim back, cut, bring down

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French détracter, from Latin detractum, past participle of detraho.

Across languages

Translations

15 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: отнемам (otnemam) — to take away; to withdraw or remove
  • Finnish: poistaa — to take away; to withdraw or remove
  • Finnish: vähentää — to take away; to withdraw or remove
  • Russian: отнима́ть (otnimátʹ) — to take away; to withdraw or remove
  • Russian: вычита́ть (vyčitátʹ) — to take away; to withdraw or remove
  • Russian: уменьша́ть (umenʹšátʹ) — to take away; to withdraw or remove
  • Bulgarian: злословя (zloslovja) — to take credit or reputation from; to defame or decry
  • Finnish: vähätellä — to take credit or reputation from; to defame or decry
  • Finnish: häpäistä — to take credit or reputation from; to defame or decry
  • Finnish: häväistä — to take credit or reputation from; to defame or decry
  • Finnish: mustamaalata — to take credit or reputation from; to defame or decry
  • Russian: умалять (umaljatʹ) — to take credit or reputation from; to defame or decry
  • Russian: принижать (prinižatʹ) — to take credit or reputation from; to defame or decry
  • Russian: приуменьшать (priumenʹšatʹ) — to take credit or reputation from; to defame or decry
  • Spanish: desvirtuar — to take credit or reputation from; to defame or decry