- damage
- [[t]dæ̱mɪʤ[/t]]
♦♦damages, damaging, damaged1) VERB To damage an object means to break it, spoil it physically, or stop it from working properly.
[V n] He maliciously damaged a car with a baseball bat...
[V n] Lemon juice has the potential to damage hair, rendering it dry and brittle.
2) VERB To damage something means to cause it to become less good, pleasant, or successful.[V n] Jackson doesn't want to damage his reputation as a political personality...
[V n] He warned that the action was damaging the economy.
Syn:Ant:Derived words:damaging ADJ-GRADEDIs the recycling process in itself damaging to the environment?
3) N-UNCOUNT: oft N to n Damage is physical harm that is caused to an object.The blast had serious effects with quite extensive damage to the house...
Many professional boxers end their careers with eye and brain damage.
4) N-UNCOUNT: oft N to n Damage consists of the unpleasant effects that something has on a person, situation, or type of activity.Incidents of this type cause irreparable damage to relations with the community...
Adhering to the new rules meant inflicting serious damage on motor racing.
5) N-PLURAL If a court of law awards damages to someone, it orders money to be paid to them by a person who has damaged their reputation or property, or who has injured them.He was vindicated in court and damages were awarded.
6) PHRASE If you say `the damage is done', you mean that it is too late now to prevent the harmful effects of something that has already happened.Once the damage is done, even modern surgery can't undo it entirely.
English dictionary. 2008.
