Causing harm or damage, especially over time.
“Excessive screen time can be detrimental to children's sleep patterns.”
“Cutting funding for public transit would be detrimental to low-income commuters.”
In Speaking Task 7, 'detrimental' is a strong, precise word for describing the negative effects of the side you disagree with, such as 'This policy could be detrimental to small businesses.' It's more sophisticated than 'bad' and pairs naturally with the preposition 'to,' which is worth practicing before the exam.
Synonyms: harmful, damaging, adverse