as in disastrous
bringing about ruin or misfortune
a damning flaw in the program cost the company millions of dollars
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in cursing
to use profane or obscene language at or about
damned the car for once again breaking down
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in denouncing
to declare to be morally wrong or evil
a heresy that was quickly damned by a hastily called church council
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in sentencing
to impose a judicial punishment on
damned him to life in prison without the possibility of parole
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 damning
Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 29 May 2026
But the performance on the field wasn’t the biggest cause for concern that night for the Gunners – the most damning indictment was the apathy surrounding the club.
—Thomas Schlachter, CNN Money, 23 May 2026
Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 22 May 2026
That can sound damning with faint praise, with his lack of wins, but people actually mean it.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for damning
Adjective
But in 2019, sources close to the production revealed the reasons for Wilson's exit in a damning report that alleged a hostile work environment, conflict between Wilson and showrunner Sarah Treem, and Wilson's frustrations with how frequently she was expected to appear nude.
—Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 29 May 2026
But the performance on the field wasn’t the biggest cause for concern that night for the Gunners – the most damning indictment was the apathy surrounding the club.
—Thomas Schlachter, CNN Money, 23 May 2026
Verb
The fact that so many unworthy players went so far is simply too damning.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 22 May 2026
That can sound damning with faint praise, with his lack of wins, but people actually mean it.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for damning
Recent Examples of Synonyms for damning
Adjective
-
The study, published on May 31, highlights an ongoing trend toward wildfires becoming increasingly extreme, costly, and disastrous — both economically and in lives lost.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
31 May 2026
-
Leigh Ann, boy, so striking to hear the former first lady talk about that disastrous debate performance.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
The woman started cursing her out.—
Caitlin McGlade,
Charlotte Observer,
2 June 2026
-
Throughout our conversation, Rosenbaum frequently cited examples in which obvious AI errors left him enraged and literally cursing at the machine.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
The song, and its accompanying video featuring Bryan dancing on a dock, was ripped online, and launched a string of comments denouncing the track — about, yep, fishing and hunting, golfing and drinking — as the product of a large language model.—
Jonathan Bernstein,
Rolling Stone,
30 May 2026
-
Unlike the polished restraint of traditional beauty advertising, her monologue denouncing ageism is unfiltered and unapologetic.—
Alison Bringé,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
The searchable database covers all of the nearly 1,600 criminal cases, including charges, convictions, and sentencing outcomes.—
Tom Dreisbach,
NPR,
26 May 2026
-
The appeals court that ordered a trial court to reconsider Peters' sentence said the trial judge's consideration of her belief in the existence of 2020 election fraud went beyond what was relevant to sentencing her.—
Aysha Bagchi,
USA Today,
16 May 2026
Adjective
-
The timing is particularly unfortunate given the matchup awaiting the Knicks.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
29 May 2026
-
While loud sounds won’t cause flat cakes, there are reasons for this unfortunate outcome.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
The headline-splashing arrest came after LaBeouf claimed to be sober, blaming past abusive behavior on alcoholism.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
3 June 2026
-
Frustration, because too much of the public conversation defaults toward blaming parents while failing to grapple honestly with the cultural shift in our society that is shaping these gatherings.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Other countries, including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt also issued statements condemning the attacks and expressing support for Kuwait.—
Kyla Guilfoil,
NBC news,
29 May 2026
-
Moskowitz has been one of the most outspoken members of Congress in condemning the rise of antisemitism coming from members of either party, and in support of Israel, issues that are deeply personal to him.—
Anthony Man,
Sun Sentinel,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
Iyo Sky, Roxanne Perez, Giulia and Lash Legend squared off in a fatal four-way match with a spot in the semifinals waiting for the winner.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
2 June 2026
-
Underscoring the stakes for Louisville residents is the March fatal shooting of a 28-year-old woman named Katelyn Hall, who was experiencing a mental health crisis when police gunned her down in her own apartment.—
Topher Sanders,
ProPublica,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Damning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/damning. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
