DAMAGING Synonyms: 207 Similar and Opposite Words

damaging 1 of 2

adjective

ˈda-mi-jiŋ

Definition of damaging

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

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

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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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

Primary hazards include rainfall and flash flooding, with stronger thunderstorms capable of producing damaging wind gusts and large hail. — Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 14 July 2026 Increasingly, communities might not have completed repairs before another damaging storm arrives. — Lee Ann Rawlins Williams, The Conversation, 13 July 2026

Verb

Strip a player of All-Star designation, potentially damaging his Hall of Fame chances? — Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 15 July 2026 Increase in Disease-Fighting Antioxidants Watermelon is one of the best sources of lycopene, an antioxidant known to combat cell-damaging free radicals. — Cynthia Sass, Health, 14 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for damaging

Recent Examples of Synonyms for damaging

Adjective

The as-yet-untitled series will follow the story of multiple families and campaigners including Ellen Roome, who believes that the tragic death of her beloved 14-year-old son Julian ‘Jools’ Sweeney could have been linked to harmful social media.

— Max Goldbart, Deadline, 15 July 2026
And planting near any street could expose trees to harmful salt spray when roads are treated in the winter.

— Viveka Neveln, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 July 2026

Definition of harmful

Verb

In the early hours of New Year's Day, a fire tore through a bar in the Swiss ski resort town of Crans-Montana, killing about 40 people and injuring more than 100.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 July 2026
Jakarta, Indonesia — A pickup truck carrying wedding guests was crushed between two trucks on a busy highway on Indonesia's main island of Java, killing 13 people and injuring five others, police said Monday.

— CBS News, CBS News, 13 July 2026

Definition of injuring

Verb

In Brooklyn, New York’s Coney Island neighborhood, a man in a black ski mask opened fire on a family barbecue late Saturday night, wounding at least eight people, including four children.

— Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 5 July 2026
Nandito Badea, 21, and George Stana, 25, were found guilty by a jury last month of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 July 2026

Definition of wounding

Adjective

Unfortunately, during the early to mid-twentieth century, negative perceptions of immigrant and ethnic laborers led many outsiders to view their neighborhoods as unsafe, unclean, and detrimental to the social fabric of American cities.

— Michelle Oliva-Espinosa, Kansas City Star, 18 July 2026
Pruning can stress them even further, creating a scenario that can be detrimental to your plants.

— Samantha Johnson, Martha Stewart, 16 July 2026

Definition of detrimental

Verb

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
In Strasbourg, groups of Palace supporters clashed among themselves in a square in the city centre, marring the occasion.

— Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 28 May 2026

Definition of marring

Adjective

Teri handled higher-value finds and saw that potentially dangerous items – like firearms and knives – got to the local sheriff’s office.

— Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
Looking back through the sequence, Brazil have good numbers back and there is little need for anyone to overcommit — but a lazy tackle from behind leads to a free kick in a dangerous area.

— Mark Carey, New York Times, 6 July 2026

Definition of dangerous

Verb

The most obvious example is the benefit for students who do not have to pay international tuition fees while going to college or university without compromising their current legal status in their home country.

— Andy J. Semotiuk, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
If Geely’s claims hold up in production, the approach could offer a glimpse into how future electric vehicles reduce weight and energy consumption without compromising performance.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 16 July 2026

Definition of compromising

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“Damaging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/damaging. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of damaging

adjective

verb

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