damaging 1 of 2

adjective

ˈda-mi-jiŋ How to pronounce damaging (audio)
Definition of damagingnext
as in harmful
causing or capable of causing harm the damaging effects of the sun on unprotected skin

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

damaging

2 of 2

verb

present participle of damage
1
as in injuring
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
2
as in wounding
to cause bodily damage to his knee was badly damaged in the accident, and he walked with a limp for months

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 damaging
Adjective
Rather than addressing the deeply damaging psychological impact that an armed law enforcement presence has on Black families trying to heal in nature, the administration offered standard procedural explanations and a commemorative coin. — Kimmie Gordon, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026 Forecasters say that a complex of thunderstorms may develop across southeast Nebraska this afternoon, then dive southeast into far northeast Kansas and northwest Missouri in the evening, bringing a wide swath of damaging winds. — Kansas City Star, 21 Aug. 2026
Verb
To clean wood surfaces without damaging them, Rapinchuk recommends using a wood-specific cleaner or a damp microfiber cloth with a drop of dish soap. — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 24 Aug. 2026 Lala moved south of the Big Island on Sunday as a Category 1 hurricane, damaging or destroying more than 100 homes and cutting off some communities, according to the governor. — Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for damaging
Recent Examples of Synonyms for damaging
  1. harmful
  2. injuring
  3. wounding
  4. detrimental
  5. marring
  6. hurting
  7. dangerous
  8. compromising
Adjective
  • California was among dozens of states that sued Meta in 2023, alleging in a lawsuit that the social media giant intentionally designed harmful and addictive features to hook children while misleading the public about the dangers.
    — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The report said the company was strengthening its research infrastructure, increasing monitoring and improving safeguards designed to prevent harmful or unintended behavior.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of harmful
Verb
  • Scott Quigley, then embedded with the Middlesex DA’s office, crashed his cruiser into a wheelchair van in December 2023, injuring a man inside who died at the hospital a month later.
    — Boston Herald editorial staff, Boston Herald, 25 Aug. 2026
  • In 2021, a teen was arrested after wounding two students and injuring two others in a shooting at a high school in Newport News, Virginia.
    — Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of injuring
Verb
  • In 2021, a teen was arrested after wounding two students and injuring two others in a shooting at a high school in Newport News, Virginia.
    — Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
  • After the boat returned to shore, an airstrike followed, killing four men and wounding two others, the official said.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of wounding
Adjective
  • Being full of yourself isn’t detrimental but necessary for survival.
    — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The settlement also requires limits on features that some experts believe are detrimental to teenagers’ self-esteem and self-image.
    — Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of detrimental
Verb
  • To prevent a similar war from happening again, Menelaus scarred her face, permanently marring her famous beauty.
    — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 18 July 2026
  • Lined with live oaks and old-fashioned, busy storefronts, this artsy town on the Gulf of Mexico has no commercial development marring its shoreline.
    — Valerie Fraser Luesse, Southern Living, 16 June 2026
Definition of marring
Verb
  • Sets with unbreakable backboards and breakaway rims are the best type for children because breakable boards and rigid rims can lead to the little ones hurting their fingers.
    — BestReviews, Mercury News, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Of course, there aren’t a lot of people alive who saw Wheat play, probably hurting him in the voting.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of hurting
Adjective
  • The desert’s location on the southern border has led to many migrants attempting to cross it by using dangerous backcountry routes, the experts said.
    — Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Rather, this is a dangerous, shape-shifting synthetic entity that ravaged their entire planet.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of dangerous
Verb
  • For Zarina Pino, a medical doctor, the calendar change this year feels particularly meaningful, as a Miami-Dade County Public Schools alumna herself who never got to embrace the holiday without compromising her schoolwork.
    — Jimena Tavel, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Luxury fibers introduce refined sensory qualities without compromising denim’s structure.
    — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of compromising

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damaging
dame
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Cite this Entry

“Damaging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/damaging. Accessed 31 Aug. 2026.

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