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

The company says it can scan an entire vehicle for damage using a smartphone camera in around 60 seconds, calculating cost of repair on the fly.

From TechCrunch

Violations have prompted other citizen group lawsuits like the one against Bluestone and scientific studies that warned of stream damage from the selenium discharged by mining operations.

From ProPublica

Each one did billions of dollars of damage to buildings, roads and other property.

From Science News For Students

To take just one example, the devastating Wine Country Fires in October 2017 did more than $9 billion worth of damage in a single month.

From MIT Technology Review

WeatherCheck, cofounded by Y Combinator graduates Demetrius Gray and Jermaine Watkins, identifies weather-related property damage so that homeowners can file claims with their insurers.

From Fortune

“At the moment there are no signs of damage,” Marino told The Daily Beast.

From The Daily Beast

If the operation caused no physical damage, it would be in bounds.

From The Daily Beast

That means any response that could result in physical damage inside North Korea is off the table.

From The Daily Beast

We could theoretically cause a lot of damage should we take that route.

From The Daily Beast

The building had to be rebuilt in 1963 after extensive damage from the Second World War was finally deemed irreparable.

From The Daily Beast

The “Compañia General de Tabacos” lost about ₱30,000 in cash in addition to the damage done to their offices and property.

From Project Gutenberg

Never grasp a Fern plant from above and try to pull it away, as this will be almost sure to result in damage.

From Project Gutenberg

Great care is necessary when removing the Ferns to do as little damage as possible to the roots.

From Project Gutenberg

If mistakes are made they happen rarely and the resources of the accepting houses are easily able to repair the damage.

From Project Gutenberg

Tornadoes occurred in Alabama, Missouri and Illinois, accompanied with extensive damage to property.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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