"harmful to" vs "harmful for"

Question

"harmful to" vs "harmful for"

Both 'harmful for' and 'harmful to' are commonly used in English, but they are used in slightly different contexts. 'Harmful to' is more commonly used to indicate the negative impact something has on a person, thing, or situation. On the other hand, 'harmful for' is used to describe the negative effects of something on a particular purpose or goal.

Last Updated: March 22, 2024

This phrase is used to indicate the negative impact something has on a person, thing, or situation. It is commonly used to describe the harm caused by a specific action or substance.

Examples:

Smoking is harmful to your health.
Excessive alcohol consumption is harmful to your liver.
Harsh chemicals can be harmful to the environment.
Lack of sleep is harmful to your immune system.
Negative comments can be harmful to someone's self-esteem.

Alternatives:

detrimental to
damaging to
bad for
detrimental for
detrimental towards

This phrase is used to describe the negative effects of something on a particular purpose or goal. It indicates that something is detrimental or damaging in achieving a specific objective.

Examples:

Eating too much sugar is harmful for your health.
Procrastination is harmful for productivity.
Lack of exercise is harmful for weight loss.
Negative thinking is harmful for mental well-being.
Skipping breakfast is harmful for concentration.

Alternatives:

detrimental to
damaging to
bad for
detrimental for
detrimental towards

Answer 1

harmful to

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

Answer 2

harmful for

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

"harmful to" vs "harmful for"

harmful to

harmful for

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