Takes away from the value, quality, or reputation of something, usually through criticism or comparison.
From Latin detrahere (de- 'away' + trahere 'to draw/pull'). The verb form appears in English from the 1500s, originally meaning to 'draw away from' and then metaphorically 'speak badly of.'
When someone says 'That mistake detracts from an otherwise excellent performance,' they're using a 500-year-old verb whose literal meaning was 'to pull away'—language holds onto its visual roots even as meanings shift.
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