This adjective describes that which causes harm or injury, whether physical, moral, or spiritual. In 1 Timothy 6:9, it characterizes the desires that ensnare those who want to be rich—cravings that are both harmful and destructive. Classical usage opposes it to what is beneficial (sympheron, ōphelimon), establishing a clear ethical contrast. The translations (Spanish dañinos, German schaedlich) employ standard terms for what causes damage, while French retains the Greek form, perhaps acknowledging the term's technical ethical force in this warning about wealth's spiritual dangers.