harmful to your health OR destructive to your health?

[Son Ho]

I wonder if we can use both of two alternative adjectives in this sentence or just one word "harmful". Why can't we used the other one" destructive" in this sentence? Please explain to me.

"Not only are smoking and drinking HARMFUL/ DESTRUCTIVE to our health, they actually increase stress rather than reduce it."


By the way, could you help me with the second sentence. Could I write it in the three following ways?

"If I were you, I'd look for another job."
1) He suggested that I should look for another job.
2) He suggested to me looking for another job.
3) He suggested looking for another job.

Thanks in advance.:-D

 

[Rover_KE]

What differences have you found in dictionaries between 'harmful' and 'destructive'? [link]

Please ask the unrelated question in a separate thread.

 

[Son Ho]

What differences have you found in dictionaries between 'harmful' and 'destructive'? [link]

Please ask the unrelated question in a separate thread.

They are the same. Because I saw some examples in Oxford advanced Dictionary.

1) " These substances can be destructive to health."
2) " The spraying could prove harmful to humans."

They seem to have the same meaning . But the definition of " harmful" prefers to a person's health or the environment rather than anything else. That is the reason why we should choose "harmful", isn't it?

 

[Rover_KE]

They are not the same.

harmful — hurtful/damaging

destructive — destroying/annihilating

Smoking and drinking can harm your health (make you ill). They do not suddenly and catastrophically destroy your health (kill you). It takes a long time to do that.

The environment has nothing to do with it.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

All true. Here's my point of veiw:

- In this context, they mean the same thing.

- Harmful is more common and natural.

And here's my advice:

- When choosing between two words, it's usually better to use the smaller one.

 

[Son Ho]

- When choosing between two words, it's usually better to use the smaller one.

Thank you, but what is meant by " the smaller one"?

 

[Rover_KE]

The word that's shorter.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Thank you, but what is meant by " the smaller one"?

Which looks smaller to you?:

- harmful
- destructive

I would use that one.