damage
Americannoun
-
damages
plural
-
injury or harm that reduces value or usefulness.
The storm did considerable damage to the crops.
- Synonyms:
- loss
-
Law. damages, the estimated money equivalent for detriment or injury sustained.
-
Informal. Often damages. cost; expense; charge.
What are the damages for the lubrication job on my car?
verb (used with object)
-
damages,
present (3rd person singular)
-
damaged,
past participle, past
-
damaging
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
damages,
present (3rd person singular)
-
damaged,
past participle, past
-
damaging
present participle
noun
-
injury or harm impairing the function or condition of a person or thing
-
loss of something desirable
-
informal cost; expense (esp in the phrase what's the damage? )
verb
-
(tr) to cause damage to
-
(intr) to suffer damage
Synonym Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
damageabilitynoun
-
damageablenessnoun
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damagernoun
-
predamagenoun
-
redamageverb (used with object)
-
damageableadjective
-
damagingadjective
-
nondamageableadjective
-
quasi-damagedadjective
-
undamageableadjective
-
undamagedadjective
-
damaginglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
damagesimple
-
damagessimple
-
have damagedperfect
-
has damagedperfect
-
am damagingprogressive
-
are damagingprogressive
-
is damagingprogressive
-
have been damagingperfect progressive
-
has been damagingperfect progressive
Past
-
damagedsimple
-
had damagedperfect
-
was damagingprogressive
-
were damagingprogressive
-
had been damagingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of damage
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Old French, equivalent to dam (from Latin damnum “damage, fine”) + -age -age; see damn
Explanation
When you damage something you hurt it in a way that makes it less valuable or useful. Say you throw a baseball and it flies over your friend's head and cracks your dad's windshield. Congratulations, you've damaged your dad's car. Damage can also be a noun. That crack in the windshield? It doesn't matter whether you 'fess up or blame your friend or a giant falling acorn. It made the car less valuable and harder to drive, therefore it is considered damage. Another meaning of damage implies the damage done to your wallet when you buy something. In a restaurant, you might hear someone ask "What's the damage?" when the check comes to the table.
Vocabulary lists containing damage
"Handle with Care"
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"The Clever Magistrate"
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New York Times Co. v. Sullivan (1964)
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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.
See Examples For:
When ammonia levels rise, they can damage the gut's protective inner lining.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2026
District officials took the unprecedented step of shutting down all district computer systems to limit the damage.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
Lead poisoning is "particularly harmful to young children" and can "severely damage the brain and central nervous system", according to the World Health Organization.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
Aurangzeb expressed alarm at the escalation, saying damage to such sites would delay a return to economic normalcy.
From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026
“We’ve all seen the damage done by the poison tide, and the situation is only getting worse. I think it’s best if you find a safer place to live.”
From "The Wild Robot Protects" by Peter Brown
Ali sued GB News presenter Alex Armstrong and social media commentator Bernadette Spofforth for defamation over posts on X. Both have apologised and agreed to pay "substantial damages".
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
The suit, which seeks unspecified damages, was filed in September 2025, but the federal monitors recently released their report containing key details about the incident.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
In one case, a company was ordered to pay a former quality-control supervisor about $38,000 in damages after it replaced him with AI, according to the court ruling and his lawyer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
The condition gradually damages cartilage, the smooth, protective tissue that cushions the ends of bones and allows joints to move with minimal friction.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026
Many of the most distinguished research men in this field look with suspicion on any agent that damages the chromosomes, interferes with cell division, or causes mutations.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
In an update on Friday evening, Division 3 Fire Chief Mark Backoff said that six homes had either been damaged or destroyed by the Norte Fire, and one firefighter had been injured from heat exhaustion.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
But the longer it goes on, Dubois' jab will do damage and Wardley's nose will be damaged again.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
American bombers damaged his shop and home in early 1945.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
Their name comes from Greek words meaning "big eaters," reflecting their ability to surround and engulf bacteria, damaged cells, and other unwanted material.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026
It is not as good as it was before, but it is an improvement from its fully damaged state.
From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga
Through a series of experiments, researchers discovered that DT-109 disrupts this damaging cycle by improving the intestinal environment and reinforcing the gut's protective barrier.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2026
Storms are most often named when potentially damaging winds are forecast, but can also be named for flooding rain or disruptive snow.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
We know how damaging it is, and we know what group is doing the damage.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
Corals are heat sensitive and particularly vulnerable to climate change, which is heating the world's oceans and increasing the frequency and intensity of damaging bleaching events.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
“I suspect that it is ultimately very damaging to the soul.”
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
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