Synonyms

damning

American

[dam-ing, dam-ning] / ˈdæm ɪŋ, ˈdæm nɪŋ /

adjective

causing incrimination.

damning evidence.

Other Word Forms

damningly adverb
damningness noun
self-damning adjective

Etymology

Origin of damning

First recorded in 1590–1600; damn + -ing ²

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.

In an article in the journal Cell Stem Cell, one of the leading voices in stem cell research, George Daley, gave a damning verdict on the work attempting to prove the existence of VSELs.

From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026

Yet that’s all Redzepi has done since the damning New York Times exposé.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026

The most damning conclusion of the research was that "this risk is entirely preventable," Ahmed said, citing Anthropic's product for praise.

From Barron's • Mar. 11, 2026

But the group, which has around 7,000 members, has described the reports published so far as damning and said it will continue to push the government to implement the recommendations made by Baroness Hallett.

From BBC • Mar. 5, 2026

“It’s . . . it’s . . .’’—she tried to think of the most damning pronouncement—“It’s not nice!”

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

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