damage

¹dam·age

noun \ˈda-mij\

Definition of DAMAGE

1

: loss or harm resulting from injury to person, property, or reputation

2

plural : compensation in money imposed by law for loss or injury

3

: expense, cost <“What's the damage?” he asked the waiter>

Examples of DAMAGE

1. The items were carefully wrapped to protect them from damage during shipping.
2. The city sustained heavy damage during the war.
3. Fortunately the boat suffered no serious damage in the storm.
4. The fall caused considerable damage to her knee.
5. The disease is known to cause permanent brain damage.
6. The scandal caused significant damage to her career.
7. You've said enough. Please leave before you do any more damage.
8. He tried to repair the damage by apologizing, but it was too late.
9. He apologized, but the damage was already done.

Origin of DAMAGE

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from dan damage, from Latin damnum

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to DAMAGE

Synonyms

affliction, injury, detriment, harm, hurt

Related Words

disservice, injustice, outrage, wrong; affront, dart, indignity, insult, offense (or offence); beating, crippling, mayhem, mutilation; defacement, disability, disablement, disfigurement, impairment; lesion; rupture, strain; abrasion, chafe, scrape, scratch; boo-boo, bruise, contusion, swelling, wound; bump, concussion; cut, gash, laceration; burn, scald, scar, scathe, sear

Near Antonyms

healing, recovery; cure, fix, remedy

²damage

transitive verb

dam·ageddam·ag·ing

Definition of DAMAGE

: to cause damage to <don't damage the furniture> <returning soldiers damaged by war>

— dam·age·abil·i·ty \ˌda-mi-jə-ˈbi-lə-tē\ noun

— dam·ag·er noun

Examples of DAMAGE

1. Please return any items that are damaged during shipping.
2. Many homes were damaged or completely destroyed in the fire.
3. The fall severely damaged her knee.
4. Smoking can seriously damage your lungs.
5. The scandal significantly damaged her career.
6. This news will undoubtedly damage the governor's reputation.
7. He was worried that his comments had seriously damaged their relationship.
8. He's trying to repair his damaged reputation.

First Known Use of DAMAGE

14th century

Related to DAMAGE

Synonyms

blemish, bloody, break, compromise, crab, cripple, cross (up), deface, disfigure, endamage, flaw, harm, hurt, impair, injure, mar, spoil, vitiate

Antonyms

doctor, fix, mend, patch, rebuild, recondition, reconstruct, renovate, repair, revamp

Related Words

deteriorate, enervate, enfeeble, undermine, weaken; erode, scour, wash out, wear (away); blight, tarnish; dent, ding, dint; botch, gum (up), queer; lacerate, wound; disable, hamstring, lame, maim, mangle, mutilate, torment, torture; annihilate, bang up, bash, batter, clobber, crush, dash, decimate, demolish, desolate, destroy, devastate, do in, pulverize, raze, ruin, scourge, shatter, smash, tear down, total, waste, wipe out, wreck

Near Antonyms

cure, heal, help, rectify, rehabilitate, remedy; edit, remodel, revise; ameliorate, better, enhance, enrich, improve, meliorate, perfect, refine

See Synonym Discussion at injure