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damaged goods

British  
/ ˈdæmɪdʒd /

noun

  1. a person considered to be less than perfect psychologically, as a result of a traumatic experience

  2. a person, esp a public figure, whose reputation has been damaged

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
damaged goods Idioms  

  1. A person, especially an unmarried woman who is no longer a virgin, as in A person who has sex before marriage is not considered damaged goods in this day and age. This pejorative expression transfers the reduced value of materials (stock, provisions, etc.) marred in some way to women who have had a sexual experience. [Early 1900s]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

VI. Damaged goods We all get mad on the course, and sometimes that anger is taken out on an unsuspecting driver or putter.

From Golf Digest • Dec. 3, 2018

Tweet this Andy Trendell guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 7 April 2010 14.20 BST larger | smaller Damaged goods ...

From The Guardian • Apr. 7, 2010

"Damaged goods half price," was Peckover's inaudible reply.

From A Poached Peerage by Magnay, William

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.