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 Learn More about damage

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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.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Second, because the Starlight Bowl is owned by the city, the city’s facilities maintenance department is responsible for repairing the damage. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Second eucalyptus tree cut down next to historic Balboa Park theater," 3 July 2019 By not using his main channel to address the controversy, Beahm could take responsibility without worrying about damage to his brand. — Julia Alexander, The Verge, "Dr Disrespect and other creators keep hiding their apologies," 3 July 2019 To repair the damage, the bird underwent a 45-minute surgery to place a metal rod and screws in its leg. — Rocky Baier, azcentral, "Bald eagle soars over Horseshoe Lake after release into wild after rehabilitation," 2 July 2019 These films imply that more effort should be made to probe the underlying motivations for ecological damage, be they economic, psychological or political. — F.b., The Economist, "Two new documentaries survey ecological battlegrounds," 2 July 2019 Investigators hope anyone who's seen a maroon Mustang with damage to its front end and passenger side, or a body shop that repaired a car matching that description can help them track down the driver. — Matt Peterson, Dallas News, "Troopers seek hit-and-run driver who killed man on I-45, left pieces of Mustang behind," 29 June 2019 There's a bright side amid the damage to those buildings. — Jim Riccioli, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Severe storm damage downs power lines, closes two buildings at Carroll University in Waukesha," 28 June 2019 In addition, there are serious concerns about the damage to marine life from the plant’s intake systems and extra-salty wastewater. — Jim Robbins, WIRED, "Desalination Is Booming as Cities Run out of Water," 27 June 2019 There has been severe damage to dairy and livestock operations the world over. — Sean Illing, Vox, "The climate crisis and the end of the golden era of food choice," 24 June 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Other methods, such as hot combs and flat irons, can cause serious burns or permanently damage hair, if used incorrectly. — Dustin Gardiner, SFChronicle.com, "California bans bias against black people based on natural hairstyles," 3 July 2019 Now, the company is offering some more detail about how this tinkering should work, including notes on where the Index’s sensors are located so people can attach extra hardware without damaging tracking quality. — Adi Robertson, The Verge, "Valve released 3D models so anyone can mod the Index VR headset," 2 July 2019 Then crews needed to repair the pavement, as the material damaged the road decking. — Sophie Carson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Crash that closed I-94 for 13 hours caused when car hit median, semitruck spilled chemicals on road," 29 June 2019 Winds may just to 60 mph and could damage trees and power lines, NWS said. — Robin Goist, cleveland.com, "National Weather Service issues severe thunderstorm warning for parts of Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake counties," 28 June 2019 The suit claims that unauthorized use of the name could damage the reputation of Matt's signature dip and allows Horseshoe Hill to profit from its work. — Marc Ramirez, Dallas News, "Tex-Mex restaurant sues Fort Worth rival for double-dipping on name of its famed queso," 28 June 2019 Standard contracts give labels ownership of physical recordings, so UMG will presumably claim the property damaged was its own. — Colin Stutz, Billboard, "Universal Music Group Fire Class Action Could Come Down to One Thing: Who Owns the Masters?," 27 June 2019 The melt rate of old permafrost can be measured by radiocarbon dating the waters of Arctic rivers, and permafrost thaw was found to be not only releasing CO2 and methane but also damaging infrastructure and altering landscapes. — Rafil Kroll-zaidi, Harper's magazine, "Findings," 24 June 2019 The bullet he was shot with ended up going straight through his stomach, damaging his intestines and liver. — Maria Pasquini, PEOPLE.com, "David Ortiz Has Been Moved Out of Intensive Care and Remains in 'Good Condition' After Shooting," 24 June 2019

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.

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Dictionary Entries near damage

Statistics for damage

Last Updated

6 Jul 2019

Look-up Popularity

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The first known use of damage was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for damage

damage

noun

English Language Learners Definition of damage

(Entry 1 of 2)

: physical harm that is done to something or to someone's body

: emotional harm that is done to someone

: problems that are caused by a mistake, wrong action, etc. : bad or harmful effects on a situation, a person's reputation, etc.

damage

verb

English Language Learners Definition of damage (Entry 2 of 2)

: to physically harm (something)

: to cause problems in or for (something) : to have a bad effect on (a situation, a person's reputation, etc.)

See the full definition for damage in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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.