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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
Large hail and damaging winds are the most likely hazards, the weather service said, though a tornado or two can’t be ruled out. — Kansas City Star, 18 Aug. 2026 Stale context is frequently more damaging to an AI model than incomplete context. — Filip Popovic, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Verb
Gavin said Shakur was also struck in the right thigh, with the bullet traveling into his abdomen and damaging his intestines. — Liza Esquibias, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026 These oxidizing species can chemically react with the membrane that surrounds a bacterium, damaging and destroying it. — Rahul Rao, Space.com, 19 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
  • Child development experts have noted teenagers are more susceptible to social comparison than adults, so products that reward popularity can be more harmful to their mental health.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Beneficial bacteria also provide colonization resistance, competing with harmful microbes for nutrients and attachment sites while producing substances that inhibit their growth.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of harmful
Verb
  • The victim ran away screaming for help, injuring her leg during the ordeal, Smith said.
    — Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • In Gary, Superintendent Yvonne Stokes said damage to schools was minimal except for a tree at the West Side Leadership Academy which fell and crashed through window injuring an employee.
    — Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 15 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
  • New redistricting maps There’s also the detrimental effects for Democrats of recent redistricting in Florida.
    — Joshua Ceballos, Miami Herald, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The math curriculum, in my view, has been detrimental to many students.
    — Olivia Young, CBS News, 21 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
  • This raised the possibility of improper interference with the Armenian electoral process, possibly also hurting reconciliation efforts between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
    — Daniel Markind, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Because that’s obviously hurting jobs and the film community in America.
    — Marlow Stern, Variety, 17 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
  • And magically, the architects and designers have achieved this without compromising its unique character.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The third step comes further inside the bend, allowing a greater lean and a sharper turn without significantly compromising his speed.
    — Amelie Claydon, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of compromising

Browse Nearby Words

damages
damaging
dame
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Cite this Entry

“Damaging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/damaging. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on damaging

Nglish: Translation of damaging for Spanish Speakers

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