damage

[ dam-ij ]

noun

1. injury or harm that reduces value or usefulness:

   The storm did considerable damage to the crops.

   Synonyms: loss

2. damages, Law. the estimated money equivalent for detriment or injury sustained.
3. Often damages. Informal. cost; expense; charge:

   What are the damages for the lubrication job on my car?

verb (used with object)

, dam·aged, dam·ag·ing.

1. to cause damage to; injure or harm; reduce the value or usefulness of:

   He damaged the saw on a nail.

   Synonyms: hurt, impair

verb (used without object)

, dam·aged, dam·ag·ing.

1. to become damaged:

   Soft wood damages easily.

damage

/ ˈdæmɪdʒ /

noun

1. injury or harm impairing the function or condition of a person or thing
2. loss of something desirable
3. informal.
   cost; expense (esp in the phrase what's the damage? )

verb

1. tr to cause damage to
2. intr to suffer damage

Derived Forms

• ˌdamageaˈbility, noun
• ˈdamagingly, adverb
• ˈdamaging, adjective
• ˈdamageable, adjective
• ˈdamager, noun

Other Words From

• damage·a·ble adjective
• damage·a·ble·ness damage·a·bili·ty noun
• damag·er noun
• non·damage·a·ble adjective
• pre·damage noun verb (used with object) predamaged predamaging
• quasi-damaged adjective
• re·damage verb (used with object) redamaged redamaging
• un·damage·a·ble adjective
• un·damaged adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of damage¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Old French, equivalent to dam (from Latin damnum “damage, fine”) + -age -age; damn

Word History and Origins

Origin of damage¹

C14: from Old French, from Latin damnum injury, loss, fine

Idioms and Phrases

• do one wrong (damage)
• the damage

Synonym Study

Damage, detriment, harm, mischief refer to injuries of various kinds. Damage is the kind of injury or the effect of injury that directly impairs appearance, value, usefulness, soundness, etc.: Fire causes damage to property. Detriment is a falling off from an original condition as the result of damage, depreciation, devaluation, etc.: Overeating is a detriment to health. Harm may denote either physical hurt or mental, moral, or spiritual injury: bodily harm; harm to one's self-confidence. Mischief may be damage, harm, trouble, or misfortune caused by a person, especially if maliciously: an enemy who would do one mischief.

Example Sentences

Photos of the damage reveal claw marks on the leather seats and the leather lining of one of the doors.

From BBC

There were two additional insurance claims filed with two different insurance companies, each with the same date of loss, the same address and the same alleged bear damage.

From BBC

The defence counsel said: "He could not get away from this fixation that the osteopath caused him permanent damage."

From BBC

The national security journal Homeland Security Today warned that the Pine Tree Party “is quickly accelerating, recruiting, and pushing the ideological bounds to promote infrastructure damage and violence now directly.”

From Salon

If they do attempt to impose the agenda of Project 2025 or the America First Policy Institute, I expect it will lead pretty quickly to major blowback and significant damage.

From Salon

Related Words

• batter
• break
• burn
• contaminate
• harm
• hurt
• impair
• infect
• injure
• maim
• mangle
• mar
• pollute
• ravage
• ruin
• scorch
• smash
• tarnish
• tear
• undermine