DAMAGE Synonyms: 222 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'damage' distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of damage are harm , hurt , impair , injure , and mar . While all these words mean "to affect injuriously," damage suggests injury that lowers value or impairs usefulness. // a table damaged in shipping

Q: When can 'harm' be used instead of 'damage'?

Although the words harm and damage have much in common, harm often stresses the inflicting of pain, suffering, or loss. // careful not to harm the animals

Q: Where would 'hurt' be a reasonable alternative to 'damage'?

In some situations, the words hurt and damage are roughly equivalent. However, hurt implies inflicting a wound to the body or to the feelings. // hurt by their callous remarks

Q: When might 'impair' be a better fit than 'damage'?

The words impair and damage are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, impair suggests a making less complete or efficient by deterioration or diminution. // years of smoking had impaired his health

Q: When could 'injure' be used to replace 'damage'?

While the synonyms injure and damage are close in meaning, injure implies the inflicting of anything detrimental to one's looks, comfort, health, or success. // badly injured in an accident

Q: In what contexts can 'mar' take the place of 'damage'?

The words mar and damage can be used in similar contexts, but mar applies to injury that spoils perfection (as of a surface) or causes disfigurement. // the text is marred by many typos

Q: How is the word 'damage' distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of damage are harm , hurt , impair , injure , and mar . While all these words mean "to affect injuriously," damage suggests injury that lowers value or impairs usefulness. // a table damaged in shipping

Q: When can 'harm' be used instead of 'damage'?

Although the words harm and damage have much in common, harm often stresses the inflicting of pain, suffering, or loss. // careful not to harm the animals

Q: Where would 'hurt' be a reasonable alternative to 'damage'?

In some situations, the words hurt and damage are roughly equivalent. However, hurt implies inflicting a wound to the body or to the feelings. // hurt by their callous remarks

Q: When might 'impair' be a better fit than 'damage'?

The words impair and damage are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, impair suggests a making less complete or efficient by deterioration or diminution. // years of smoking had impaired his health

damage 1 of 2

noun

ˈda-mij

Definition of damage next

as in harm

something that causes loss or pain the collision did a great deal of damage to her car

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in fine

damages plural a sum of money to be paid as a punishment ordered by the court to pay $1000 in damages

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as in compensation

damages plural payment to another for a loss or injury the company was forced to pay millions in damages to the permanently disabled worker

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as in cost

the amount of money that is demanded as payment for something he winced when he saw the damage after the family's shopping spree

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damage

2 of 2

verb

as in to injure

to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of the explosion in the sewers damaged the entire city's water supply

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to wound

to cause bodily damage to his knee was badly damaged in the accident, and he walked with a limp for months

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word damage distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of damage are harm, hurt, impair, injure, and mar. While all these words mean "to affect injuriously," damage suggests injury that lowers value or impairs usefulness.

a table damaged in shipping

When can harm be used instead of damage?

Although the words harm and damage have much in common, harm often stresses the inflicting of pain, suffering, or loss.

careful not to harm the animals

Where would hurt be a reasonable alternative to damage?

In some situations, the words hurt and damage are roughly equivalent. However, hurt implies inflicting a wound to the body or to the feelings.

hurt by their callous remarks

When might impair be a better fit than damage?

The words impair and damage are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, impair suggests a making less complete or efficient by deterioration or diminution.

years of smoking had impaired his health

When could injure be used to replace damage?

While the synonyms injure and damage are close in meaning, injure implies the inflicting of anything detrimental to one's looks, comfort, health, or success.

badly injured in an accident

In what contexts can mar take the place of damage?

The words mar and damage can be used in similar contexts, but mar applies to injury that spoils perfection (as of a surface) or causes disfigurement.

the text is marred by many typos

How is the word damage distinct from other similar verbs?

a table damaged in shipping

When can harm be used instead of damage?

Although the words harm and damage have much in common, harm often stresses the inflicting of pain, suffering, or loss.

careful not to harm the animals

Where would hurt be a reasonable alternative to damage?

In some situations, the words hurt and damage are roughly equivalent. However, hurt implies inflicting a wound to the body or to the feelings.

hurt by their callous remarks

When might impair be a better fit than damage?

The words impair and damage are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, impair suggests a making less complete or efficient by deterioration or diminution.

years of smoking had impaired his health

When could injure be used to replace damage?

While the synonyms injure and damage are close in meaning, injure implies the inflicting of anything detrimental to one's looks, comfort, health, or success.

badly injured in an accident

In what contexts can mar take the place of damage?

The words mar and damage can be used in similar contexts, but mar applies to injury that spoils perfection (as of a surface) or causes disfigurement.

the text is marred by many typos

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of damage

Noun

My carambola is severely damage by the freeze and full of dead leaves. —

Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2026 The full scale of structural damage is unknown at this time. —

Jose Fabian, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2026

Verb

The vehicle was later found damaged in San Jose, where it was also recovered. —

Jake Richardson, Mercury News, 5 Apr. 2026 Airstrikes also damaged buildings at the Sharif University of Technology in Tehran as well as a natural gas distribution site next to the campus, Iranian media reported. —

ABC News, 5 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for damage

Recent Examples of Synonyms for damage

Noun

The third would allow survivors of coerced debt to formally challenge such obligations with a creditor, and the last would create a program to help survivors get home security to protect themselves from future harm.

— Lauren Linder, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026
The Center for Disease Control will serve as an independent validator for the methods that are developed, and the research will then yield a risk stratification mechanism for plastic materials ranking them by biological harm.

— Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 7 Apr. 2026

Definition of harm

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dam

damage

damaged

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“Damage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/damage. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.

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Synonyms of damage

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