harmful outcome

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "harmful outcome" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing the negative results or consequences of an action, decision, or event. Example: "The study revealed a harmful outcome of the new policy, affecting the community's health."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

30 human-written examples

Another harmful outcome of long hours spent in front of the computer is the epidemic of overweight children and adolescents, something rarely seen before the personal computer age.

The New York Times

Yet, when push comes to shove, country after country is being dragged into abetting a potentially harmful outcome for the global economy as a whole.

The Guardian - Business

They compared that harmful outcome to shareholders against a negotiated "neither confirm nor deny" settlement with JPMorgan Chase this summer that had little effect on that bank's stock.

The New York Times

A similar effect was also observed in the self-report data (Study 5), such that participants reported to have felt empathy for victims in situations where there was no harmful outcome (Fig. 2).

Nature

WASHINGTON — Team Obama says the president did the best possible job and produced the least harmful outcome in the debt-deficit crisis, given the bad hand that was dealt.

The New York Times

After all, this piece isn't designed to cross-examine anyone about the harmful outcome of wilful ambiguity and reckless interpretation, simply to investigate further the hysterical rumblings that threaten to crease the very carpets of the Sounds office in their clamour to be heard.

The Guardian - Music

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

30 human-written examples

Using fMRI, we found that the 'empathy for pain' network was involved in encoding harmful outcomes and integrating harmfulness information for different types of moral judgments, and individual differences in the extent to which this network was active during encoding and integration of harmfulness information determined severity of moral judgments.

Nature

In contrast, accidental harms are condemned solely based on harmful outcomes (perhaps due to empathy, as we hypothesize).

Nature

According to this theory responsibility for harmful outcomes is restricted to the type of harm the risk of which was increased by the agency's intervention.

SEP

Thirdly, this analysis is limited to only two harmful outcomes, those of serious gastrointestinal or cardiovascular harm.

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders

Prior behavioral research on the judgment of accidental harm cannot distinguish two alternative regulation hypotheses: information about harmful outcomes may be either (i) selectively down-regulated while assessing acceptability of accidents, or instead (ii) selectively up-regulated while making blame judgments.

Nature

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When discussing the consequences of a decision or action, use "harmful outcome" to clearly denote negative results. Be specific about what makes the outcome harmful.

Common error

Avoid using "harmful outcome" as a generic term for any negative result. Provide specific details about the nature and extent of the harm to add clarity and impact to your writing.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "harmful outcome" functions as a noun phrase, where 'harmful' modifies 'outcome'. This indicates a result or consequence that has negative or damaging effects. Ludwig AI confirms that the phrase is grammatically sound and frequently used in varied contexts.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

42%

News & Media

42%

Formal & Business

8%

Less common in

Academia

4%

Wiki

1%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "harmful outcome" is a grammatically correct and commonly used term for describing negative results or consequences. According to Ludwig AI, it's suitable for various contexts, from scientific reports to news articles. While there are many alternative phrases such as "adverse consequence" or "detrimental effect", "harmful outcome" clearly and directly conveys the presence of negative effects. When using this phrase, it is best to provide specific details about the nature and extent of the harm to enhance clarity. The phrase appears frequently in Science and News & Media, indicating its broad applicability and recognition.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

adverse consequence

Replaces 'harmful' with 'adverse' and 'outcome' with 'consequence', both indicating a negative result.

negative repercussion

Substitutes 'harmful' with 'negative' and 'outcome' with 'repercussion', highlighting the impact of an action.

detrimental effect

Uses 'detrimental' instead of 'harmful' and 'effect' instead of 'outcome', emphasizing the damaging nature of the result.

injurious effect

Replaces 'harmful' with 'injurious', indicating a more direct and damaging impact.

deleterious result

Uses 'deleterious' in place of 'harmful', suggesting a subtly destructive or damaging result.

damaging consequence

Emphasizes the destructive aspect by using 'damaging' instead of 'harmful'.

unfavorable development

Replaces 'harmful outcome' with a broader term describing a negative turn of events.

unfortunate result

Substitutes 'harmful' with 'unfortunate', softening the negative connotation.

poor consequence

Uses the simpler term 'poor' to describe the negative quality of the consequence.

ill effect

Replaces 'harmful outcome' with a concise phrase indicating a negative impact on health or well-being.

FAQs

How can I use "harmful outcome" in a sentence?

You can use "harmful outcome" to describe the negative consequences of an action or situation. For example: "The study revealed a "harmful outcome" of the new policy, affecting the community's health."

What are some alternatives to saying "harmful outcome"?

Alternatives include "adverse consequence", "negative repercussion", or "detrimental effect", depending on the specific context and nuance you wish to convey.

Is "harmful outcome" formal or informal?

"Harmful outcome" is suitable for both formal and informal contexts, depending on the overall tone and audience. However, in highly formal or scientific writing, more precise terminology might be preferred.

What's the difference between "harmful outcome" and "negative impact"?

"Harmful outcome" generally refers to a specific, identifiable negative result, whereas "negative impact" is a broader term that can encompass a wider range of adverse effects. The choice depends on the level of specificity required.