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

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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

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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
On deck is Hungerland, an upcoming feature that confronts obesity and the damaging effects of America’s food system, and Extension, which examines the dangers of social media and its link to many teen suicides. — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 2 Oct. 2026 Due to changing storm patterns, the kelp forests are also battered by more damaging winter swells, according to Scripps associate researcher Ed Parnell. — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Verb
Since nature does not abide by the legal boundaries between species and their habitats, damaging the habitat can result in the loss of the species. — Timothy Randhir, The Conversation, 1 Oct. 2026 Excess energy caused by obesity, high blood sugar and metabolic disease can lower the brain's resilience by damaging blood vessels and contributing to insulin resistance. — Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 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
  • While the baits are not harmful to pets, eating several may cause mild stomach upset.
    — Dan Raby, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The film primarily follows Frances Haugen (Mikey Madison), a Facebook employee in the company’s civic integrity team, the group tasked with making sure Facebook acts responsibly and avoids the harmful impacts of its product.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of harmful
Verb
  • Kyiv region military administration head Tymur Tkachenko said on Saturday that a warehouse and production premise had been hit, injuring four people.
    — Svitlana Vlasova, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Elephants can be extremely destructive and dangerous, and several African countries must confront the problem of elephant herds destroying farmers’ crops and infrastructure as well as killing or injuring people.
    — Sello Motseta, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of injuring
Verb
  • Russia also attacked warehouse facilities in the Bucha district of the Kyiv region on Friday, wounding three people, Ukraine’s Interior Ministry said on Telegram.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The officer fired seven rounds into a car, city officials said, wounding the man while a 5-year-old boy was sat in the back seat.
    — Jamie Ross, Washington Post, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of wounding
Adjective
  • Early detection is also instrumental to addressing chronic absenteeism, classroom misconduct and student disconnectedness detrimental to any learning environment.
    — Vanessa Andersen, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Brown was suspended for conduct detrimental to the team in 1997 and then was cut.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of detrimental
Verb
  • The Trib is withholding Nick’s full name to avoid marring his reputation in the eyes of future employers or others who might run a search on him.
    — Kate Payne, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The latter track takes overt inspiration from Sofia Coppola’s 2006 film Marie Antoinette, as Jepsen beckons her love to engage in life’s vices with her, like marring bedsheets with fruit stains and dashing nude through the garden.
    — Jaeden Pinder, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of marring
Verb
  • But there is another factor at play hurting the Democratic Party’s public voter registration that may not necessarily translate to people voting for Republican candidates on their ballots.
    — Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Janie wouldn't be selling anything or hurting anyone, and RushTok naturally draws high traffic and has a low barrier to entry for new creators.
    — Jesse Watson, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of hurting
Adjective
  • When threatening phone calls begin and a dangerous fugitive surfaces in town, Jenny grows suspicious of everyone around her as the danger begins closing in.
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 11 Oct. 2026
  • One of the reasons being an actor is both dangerous and a privilege is that your job is to think about all the different roads your life could take, and all the people that live inside you, and all your potential.
    — Sarah Larson, New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of dangerous
Verb
  • Researchers at the University of California San Diego and Toyota Research Institute of North America have developed a fluorine-free binder that could make lithium-ion batteries easier to manufacture and recycle without compromising performance.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2026
  • San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also condemned the president for potentially compromising the safety of their cities.
    — Ana Ceballos, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of compromising

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Cite this Entry

“Damaging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/damaging. Accessed 13 Oct. 2026.

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