damaging

adjective

dam·​ag·​ing ˈda-mi-jiŋ 

: causing or able to cause damage : injurious

has a damaging effect on wildlife

damagingly

ˈda-mi-jiŋ-lē 

adverb

Synonyms of damaging

• harmful
• detrimental
• dangerous
• adverse

Examples of damaging in a Sentence

the damaging effects of the sun on your skin

The storm may produce damaging winds.

He says he has damaging information about the candidate.

The evidence was very damaging to their case.

Recent Examples on the Web

If the atmosphere successfully destabilizes, strong to severe storms are possible with damaging winds, heavy rain, tornadoes, & hail possible. — Kansas City Star, 10 July 2026

But vetoing the bill could be politically damaging for Republicans ahead of the midterm elections, with the rising cost of living and housing on the top of voters' minds. — Joey Garrison, USA Today, 10 July 2026

Of all the bad policy coming out from Washington today, the CCCA may be the most damaging to their day-to-day survival. — Raquel Mitchell, Boston Herald, 8 July 2026

The optics have been particularly damaging for the country’s image within the global mining industry. — Alexis Akwagyiram, semafor.com, 8 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1828, in the meaning defined above