damaging

adjective

dam·​ag·​ing ˈda-mi-jiŋ How to pronounce damaging (audio)
: causing or able to cause damage : injurious
has a damaging effect on wildlife
damagingly adverb

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Large hail, damaging winds and tornadoes are threatening states in the Midwest, with cities like Chicago, Minneapolis and Milwaukee in the crosshairs, forecasters said. Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 16 May 2025 The threat for damaging winds in excess of 75 mph will increase into this evening as storms grow into larger clusters. Michael Phillis, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2025 Damaging storm risks persist for days The threat of level three out of five severe storms will impact the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex Saturday evening, with large hail, damaging winds and the potential for tornadoes. Matt Rehbein, CNN Money, 17 May 2025 Some of these storms could become severe, with the greatest risks being damaging winds, large hail, and isolated tornadoes. Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 17 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for damaging

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1828, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of damaging was circa 1828

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Cite this Entry

“Damaging.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/damaging. Accessed 25 May. 2025.

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