Word Study
detract
OXFORD DICTIONARY
detract, v.tr. (usu. foll. by from) take away (a part of something); reduce, diminish (self-interest detracted nothing from their achievement).
Derivative
detraction n. detractive adj. detractor n.
Etymology
L detrahere detract- (as DE-, trahere draw)
THESAURUS
detract
abate, abrade, abstract, bate, beguile, call away, curtail, decrease, deduct, depreciate, derogate, detract attention, detract from, diminish, disparage, distract, divert, divert the mind, drain, eat away, erode, extract, file away, impair, leach, lessen, purify, reduce, refine, remove, retrench, rub away, shorten, subduct, subtract, take away, take away from, take from, thin, thin out, wear away, weed, withdrawROGET THESAURUS
detract
Subtraction
VB subduct, subtract, deduct, deduce, bate, retrench, remove, withdraw, take from, take away, detract, garble, mutilate, amputate, detruncate, cut off, cut away, cut out, abscind, excise, pare, thin, prune, decimate, abrade, scrape, file, geld, castrate, eliminate, diminish, curtail, deprive of, weaken.Detraction
VB detract, derogate, decry, deprecate, depreciate, disparage, run down, cry down, backcap, belittle, sneer at, criticize, pull to pieces, pick a hole in one's coat, asperse, cast aspersions, blow upon, bespatter, blacken, vilify, vilipend, avile, give a dog a bad name, brand, malign, muckrake, backbite, libel, lampoon, traduce, slander, defame, calumniate, bear false witness against, speak ill of behind one's back, fling dirt, anathematize, dip the pen in gall, view in a bad light, impugn (disparage the motives of), assail, attack, oppose, denounce, accuse.For further exploring for "detract" in Webster Dictionary Online