Skaðlegra

Skaðlegra is an Icelandic adjective form meaning “more harmful” or “more injurious.” It is the comparative form of skaðlegur, the base word for something that causes harm or damage. The term is used to express that one thing has a greater degree of harm than another.

In usage, skaðlegra appears in scientific, medical, environmental, and policy discussions when comparing risks, side effects, or damages. In Icelandic sentences it commonly appears in constructions such as X er skaðlegra en Y, meaning “X is more harmful than Y.” It also surfaces in phrases describing effects, for example skaðlegra áhrif, meaning “more harmful effects.” The word is employed in neutral, analytical writing to discuss relative harm rather than moral judgment.

Etymology and grammar: skaðlegra derives from the root skað- meaning harm, combined with the suffix -legur to form skaðlegur, “harmful.” The comparative form is used to indicate greater harmfulness in relation to another item. As with other Icelandic adjectives, the exact form changes with gender, number, and definiteness, but skaðlegra is widely recognized as the standard comparative in many contexts, particularly before nouns or in set phrases describing relative harm.

See also: skaðlegur, skaðlegt, and related terms for harmfulness in Icelandic.