Take away a part from; diminish:
— His bad manners detract from his good character.

synonym: take away.

Roget 934: detract, derogate, decry, deprecate, depreciate, disparage; run down, cry down; backcap [U.S.]; belittle; sneer at etc. (contempt) 930; 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 etc. (disrespect) 929; anathematize etc. 932; dip the pen in gall, view in a bad light.    impugn (disparage the motives of); assail, attack etc. 716; oppose etc. 708; denounce, accuse etc. 938.    ... show more

Roget 38: 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 etc. 36; curtail etc. (shorten) 201; deprive of etc. (take) 789; weaken.    ... show more

Dutch: afbreuk