If one thing detracts from another, it makes it seem less good or impressive. The publicity could detract from our election campaign. detract from to make something seem less good
The detractors of a person or thing are people who criticize that person or thing. This performance will silence many of his detractors = critic. someone who says bad things about someone or something, in order to make them seem less good than they really are sb's detractors
[ di-'trakt, dE- ] (verb.) 15th century. Middle English, from Latin detractus, past participle of detrahere to pull down, disparage, from de- + trahere to draw.