damage

noun

dam·age | \ ˈda-mij

Definition of damage

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : loss or harm resulting from injury to person, property, or reputation flood damage sustained severe damage to her knee

2 damages plural : compensation in money imposed by law for loss or injury The judge awarded them $5,000 in damages.

3 : expense, cost "What's the damage?" he asked the waiter

damage

verb

damaged; damaging

Definition of damage (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

: to cause damage (see damage entry 1 sense 1) to don't damage the furniture returning soldiers damaged by war

Other Words from damage Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Phrases Containing damage Learn More About damage

Choose the Right Synonym for damage

Verb

injure, harm, hurt, damage, impair, mar mean to affect injuriously. injure implies the inflicting of anything detrimental to one's looks, comfort, health, or success. badly injured in an accident harm often stresses the inflicting of pain, suffering, or loss. careful not to harm the animals hurt implies inflicting a wound to the body or to the feelings. hurt by their callous remarks damage suggests injury that lowers value or impairs usefulness. a table damaged in shipping impair suggests a making less complete or efficient by deterioration or diminution. years of smoking had impaired his health mar applies to injury that spoils perfection (as of a surface) or causes disfigurement. the text is marred by many typos

Examples of damage in a Sentence

Noun The items were carefully wrapped to protect them from damage during shipping. The city sustained heavy damage during the war. Fortunately the boat suffered no serious damage in the storm. The fall caused considerable damage to her knee. The disease is known to cause permanent brain damage. The scandal caused significant damage to her career. You've said enough. Please leave before you do any more damage. He tried to repair the damage by apologizing, but it was too late. He apologized, but the damage was already done. Verb Please return any items that are damaged during shipping. Many homes were damaged or completely destroyed in the fire. The fall severely damaged her knee. Smoking can seriously damage your lungs. The scandal significantly damaged her career. This news will undoubtedly damage the governor's reputation. He was worried that his comments had seriously damaged their relationship. He's trying to repair his damaged reputation. See More

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Many of these titles make up for it by releasing updates and DLC that helps fix the game over time, but often the damage is done. — Erik Kain, Forbes, 13 May 2022 The Del Mar fire department extinguished the fire on the tracks and a Santa Fe railway inspector from Oceanside said little damage was done. — San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 May 2022 This almost always indicates a serious problem has occurred, and severe damage could be done by continuing to drive the car. — Nick Kurczewski, Car and Driver, 13 May 2022 Though the government began to reverse course in November, sizable damage was already done. — Sadanand Dhume, WSJ, 12 May 2022 The board eventually voted 3-2 in favor of approving the state’s mandates (with Haff and Supervisor Anaiah Kirk voting against) but in Campbell’s view, the damage had been done. — Ryan Kost, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 May 2022 Some Chinese cities, including Shanghai, have started easing Covid restrictions in recent days, butexperts say that the damage has already been done, and global shipping will suffer well into the summer. — Laura He, CNN, 6 May 2022 The Navy said improving working and living conditions is a top priority, while some sailors contend the damage is already done. — Melissa Chan, NBC News, 5 May 2022 The gastrointestinal symptoms can be similar in celiac disease and NCGS (though no damage is done to the small intestine in the latter). — Eleesha Lockett, SELF, 3 May 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb The chance of having a treatment that is less likely to damage healthy parts of the body can make a difference on so much, Harari said, including allowing more people to work, have children, and just generally live life. — Devi Shastri, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 17 May 2022 Firestarter’s failure isn’t likely to damage the Stephen King Industrial Complex of book adaptations. — Adario Strange, Quartz, 16 May 2022 There are lots of other ways to seriously damage someone. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 14 May 2022 Alternatively, did the adenovirus itself recently change, evolving to more readily damage the liver? — Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 13 May 2022 Inquiries from the congressional committee investigating the storming of the U.S. Capitol have been timed to damage his Senate campaign, Congressman Mo Brooks said Thursday. — Paul Gattis | Pgattis@al.com, al, 12 May 2022 The 147-year-old Houston cemetery’s situation on low-lying ground near a bayou has exposed its more than 4,000 graves to damage from flooding. — Jane Recker, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 May 2022 Madison firefighters extinguished the blaze that appeared to damage a row of books that sat in front of the window vandals smashed. — Molly Beck, USA TODAY, 9 May 2022 In test tubes, oxybenzone doesn't engage in any reactions that seem to damage biomolecules. — John Timmer, Ars Technica, 8 May 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'damage.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Learn More About damage

Dictionary Entries Near damage

dama de noche

damage

damageable

Statistics for damage

Last Updated

23 May 2022

Cite this Entry

“Damage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/damage. Accessed 28 May. 2022.

Style: MLA

MLA

Chicago

APA

Merriam-Webster Check Mark Icon

More Definitions for damage

damage

noun

dam·age | \ ˈda-mij

Kids Definition of damage

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : loss or harm caused by injury to a person's body or property How much damage was done to the car?

2 damages plural : money demanded or paid according to law for injury or damage The jury awarded $50,000 in damages.

damage

verb

damaged; damaging

Kids Definition of damage (Entry 2 of 2)

: to cause harm or loss to

damage

noun

dam·age

Legal Definition of damage

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

2 plural : the money awarded to a party in a civil suit as reparation for the loss or injury for which another is liable — see also additur, cover, mitigate, remittitur — compare declaratory judgment at judgment sense 1a, injunction, specific performance at performance

Note: The trier of fact determines the amount of damages to be awarded to the prevailing party. More than one type of damages may be awarded for a single injury.

— actual damages

: damages deemed to compensate the injured party for losses sustained as a direct result of the injury suffered

— called also compensatory damages

— consequential damages

: special damages in this entry

— direct damages

: damages for a loss that is an immediate, natural, and foreseeable result of the wrongful act — compare special damages in this entry

— exemplary damages \ ig-ˈzem-plə-rē- \

: punitive damages in this entry

— expectation damages

: damages recoverable for breach of contract and designed to put the injured party in the position he or she would have been in had the contract been completed

— called also expectancy damages

— general damages

1 : damages for a loss that is the natural, foreseeable, and logical result of a wrongful act — compare special damages in this entry

2 : damages for losses (as pain and suffering, inconvenience, or loss of lifestyle) whose monetary values are difficult to assign

— hedonic damages \ hi-ˈdä-nik- \

: damages deemed to compensate for the loss of enjoyment of life resulting from a wrongful act

Note: Hedonic damages are not recognized in all jurisdictions.

— incidental damages

: damages recoverable under section 2-715 of the Uniform Commercial Code in breach of contract cases for losses that include expenses incurred in handling and caring for goods which were the subject of the contract, reasonable expenses incurred in obtaining cover, and any other reasonable expenses resulting from the breach that do not fall into any other category

— liquidated damages

: damages whose amount is agreed upon by the parties to a contract as adequately compensating for loss in the event of a breach

— called also stipulated damages

Note: Liquidated damages in an amount exceeding that needed to reasonably compensate the injured party constitute a penalty and are therefore void.

— moratory damages

in the civil law of Louisiana : damages recoverable for loss resulting from an obligor's delay in performing

Note: Compensatory damages are recoverable in a case of failure to perform.

— nominal damages

: damages awarded in a small amount (as one dollar) in cases in which a party has been injured but no loss resulted from the injury or in which the injured party failed to prove that loss resulted from the injury

— presumed damages

: damages that are presumed under the law to result naturally and necessarily from a tortious act and that therefore do not require proof

— punitive damages

: damages awarded in cases of serious or malicious wrongdoing to punish or deter the wrongdoer or deter others from behaving similarly

— called also exemplary damages, smart money

— special damages

: damages awarded in an amount deemed to compensate for losses that arise not as a natural result of the injury but because of some particular circumstance of the injured party specifically : damages relating to a business, profession, or property that are easily calculable in monetary terms

— called also consequential damages

— compare direct damages in this entry — general damages in this entry

Note: Because special damages do not arise in every case, they must be specifically requested in the pleadings. This is an issue of particular importance in cases of harm to reputation, such as slander, libel, and malicious prosecution.

— stipulated damages

in the civil law of Louisiana : liquidated damages in this entry

— treble damages \ ˈtre-bəl- \

: damages awarded in an amount that is three times the amount for which the trier of fact finds the wrongdoer liable

Note: Treble damages are recoverable where authorized by statute and are usually imposed as a punishment.