harmful ideas

USAGE SUMMARY

"harmful ideas" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
You can use it whenever you want to refer to ideas that have the potential to cause harm or be damaging in some way. For example, "The extremist group promoted some very harmful ideas to the public."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

But the insidious effects of stigma and harmful ideas about manhood continue.

The Guardian

However, one of the most notable aspects the whole affair has brought up is just how toxic a locker-room culture can be when it is built upon harmful ideas about masculinity and toughness.

The Guardian - Sport

Animated films powerfully, engagingly and invisibly transmit harmful ideas about gender and gender roles.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

Ministers reacted quickly with a pledge to ban such a harmful idea by introducing new rules.

The Guardian

There is a well meaning but naive, and potentially very harmful, idea currently doing the rounds in youth justice circles.

The Guardian

The social meaning may finally liberate us from the simplistic and harmful idea, false for many other reasons as well, that each aspect of our being, either physical or behavioral, may be ascribed to the action of a particular gene "for" the trait in question.

The New York Times

"But the basic fact remains, sequestration is a harmful idea.

Huffington Post

Society must be protected from the "harmful idea" that "what essentially makes a marriage is romantic-emotional union".

Huffington Post

"It mocks and stigmatizes its victims, tearing down self-respect and perpetuating the harmful idea that our unique physical appearances should be compared to air-brushed notions of 'perfect.' What really matters is our character and humanity.

Los Angeles Times

"It mocks and stigmatizes its victims, tearing down self-respect and perpetuating the harmful idea that our unique physical appearances should be compared to airbrushed notions of 'perfect.' What really matters is our character and humanity.

Los Angeles Times

I'm no beauty pageant fan; such events reinforce the harmful idea that women should be valued largely for their appearance, thereby pressuring women to fit into an arbitrary, oftentimes unrealistic standard of beauty.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When discussing "harmful ideas", be specific about the potential negative consequences and who or what might be affected. Provide context and evidence to support your claims.

Common error

Avoid vague accusations by clearly defining which aspects of the "harmful ideas" are problematic and why. Without specifics, your argument may lack credibility.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "harmful ideas" functions as a noun phrase, where the adjective "harmful" modifies the noun "ideas". According to Ludwig, it correctly identifies and categorizes negative or damaging concepts. This is confirmed by examples across diverse contexts.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

41%

Science

29%

Formal & Business

11%

Less common in

Wiki

7%

Encyclopedias

6%

Reference

6%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "harmful ideas" is a grammatically sound and frequently used expression to denote concepts that have the potential to cause damage or negativity. As Ludwig AI confirms, it’s appropriately used across different contexts, including news, science, and formal communications. When using this phrase, clarity is key; providing specific examples and explaining the potential consequences will strengthen your argument. Remember to consider alternatives like "destructive concepts" or "damaging notions" for nuanced expression. The broad usage of "harmful ideas" underscores its importance in critical discourse and the need for thoughtful engagement with potentially damaging concepts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

destructive concepts

Replaces "harmful" with "destructive", emphasizing the potential to cause damage.

damaging notions

Substitutes "harmful" with "damaging" and "ideas" with "notions", highlighting the adverse effects.

negative beliefs

Replaces "harmful" with "negative" and "ideas" with "beliefs", focusing on the detrimental nature of convictions.

pernicious thoughts

Replaces "harmful" with "pernicious" and "ideas" with "thoughts", indicating a subtle and insidious harm.

detrimental concepts

Substitutes "harmful" with "detrimental", stressing the capacity to cause harm or disadvantage.

toxic ideologies

Replaces "harmful" with "toxic" and "ideas" with "ideologies", suggesting a poisonous and pervasive influence.

deleterious perspectives

Replaces "harmful" with "deleterious" and "ideas" with "perspectives", highlighting the damaging effect on viewpoints.

unhealthy attitudes

Replaces "harmful" with "unhealthy" and "ideas" with "attitudes", focusing on detrimental mental states.

counterproductive notions

Substitutes "harmful" with "counterproductive", highlighting ideas that hinder progress.

ill-conceived beliefs

Replaces "harmful" with "ill-conceived", focusing on the lack of proper thought behind the beliefs.

FAQs

What are some examples of "harmful ideas" in society?

Examples of "harmful ideas" include those that promote discrimination, violence, or misinformation that endangers public health. Consider ideas that normalize harmful stereotypes or deny scientific consensus.

How can I identify potentially "harmful ideas"?

Look for ideas that rely on biased information, promote exclusion, or disregard ethical considerations. Question whether these ideas lead to negative outcomes for individuals or society as a whole.

What can I say instead of "harmful ideas"?

You can use alternatives like "destructive concepts", "damaging notions", or "negative beliefs" depending on the context.

How can I counter the spread of "harmful ideas"?

Promote critical thinking, fact-checking, and respectful dialogue. Encourage diverse perspectives and challenge misinformation with accurate information and evidence-based arguments.