DAMAGE Synonyms: 222 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'damage' distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of damage are harm , hurt , impair , injure , and mar . While all these words mean "to affect injuriously," damage suggests injury that lowers value or impairs usefulness. // a table damaged in shipping

Q: When can 'harm' be used instead of 'damage'?

Although the words harm and damage have much in common, harm often stresses the inflicting of pain, suffering, or loss. // careful not to harm the animals

Q: Where would 'hurt' be a reasonable alternative to 'damage'?

In some situations, the words hurt and damage are roughly equivalent. However, hurt implies inflicting a wound to the body or to the feelings. // hurt by their callous remarks

Q: When might 'impair' be a better fit than 'damage'?

The words impair and damage are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, impair suggests a making less complete or efficient by deterioration or diminution. // years of smoking had impaired his health

Q: When could 'injure' be used to replace 'damage'?

While the synonyms injure and damage are close in meaning, injure implies the inflicting of anything detrimental to one's looks, comfort, health, or success. // badly injured in an accident

Q: In what contexts can 'mar' take the place of 'damage'?

The words mar and damage can be used in similar contexts, but mar applies to injury that spoils perfection (as of a surface) or causes disfigurement. // the text is marred by many typos

damage 1 of 2

noun

ˈda-mij

Definition of damage

as in harm

something that causes loss or pain the collision did a great deal of damage to her car

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in fine

damages plural a sum of money to be paid as a punishment ordered by the court to pay $1000 in damages

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in compensation

damages plural payment to another for a loss or injury the company was forced to pay millions in damages to the permanently disabled worker

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in cost

the amount of money that is demanded as payment for something he winced when he saw the damage after the family's shopping spree

Synonyms & Similar Words

damage

2 of 2

verb

as in to injure

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 to wound

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

Synonym Chooser

How is the word damage distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of damage are harm, hurt, impair, injure, and mar. While all these words mean "to affect injuriously," damage suggests injury that lowers value or impairs usefulness.

a table damaged in shipping

When can harm be used instead of damage?

Although the words harm and damage have much in common, harm often stresses the inflicting of pain, suffering, or loss.

careful not to harm the animals

Where would hurt be a reasonable alternative to damage?

In some situations, the words hurt and damage are roughly equivalent. However, hurt implies inflicting a wound to the body or to the feelings.

hurt by their callous remarks

When might impair be a better fit than damage?

The words impair and damage are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, impair suggests a making less complete or efficient by deterioration or diminution.

years of smoking had impaired his health

When could injure be used to replace damage?

While the synonyms injure and damage are close in meaning, injure implies the inflicting of anything detrimental to one's looks, comfort, health, or success.

badly injured in an accident

In what contexts can mar take the place of damage?

The words mar and damage can be used in similar contexts, but mar applies to injury that spoils perfection (as of a surface) or causes disfigurement.

the text is marred by many typos

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 damage

Noun

This reduced both electrical damage and unwanted light absorption simultaneously, pushing raw laboratory tests up to 27 percent. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2026 Despite six months of an almost continuous Gulf oil and natural gas embargo by Iran, the global economy is suffering minimal damage. — James F. Jeffrey, Foreign Affairs, 3 Sep. 2026

Verb

According to police, the woman said that Jacobs hadn’t returned her primary phone and that her second phone was damaged as a result of the incident. — Steve Megargee, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026 The Ross Fire has scorched at least 80,000 acres in North Texas, damaging several structures in Palo Pinto County, including a longtime canoe rental business in Graford. — Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for damage

Recent Examples of Synonyms for damage

Noun

Earlier this year, an open letter from agency leadership warned against using federal funds to buy harm reduction supplies like sterile syringes and pipes, or to distribute test strips for common drug supply contaminants.

— Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 3 Sep. 2026
The harm caused by the delays spurred immigration attorneys and advocates in the state to send a letter to Chief Judge Sul Ozerden in March about the habeas bottleneck.

— Carla Astudillo, ProPublica, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of harm

Noun

If convicted, Miller could face a maximum sentence of five years in prison on the cyberstalking charge and two years for making false statements, along with fines of up to $250,000.

— Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Note that penalty relief doesn’t erase the underlying taxes and only removes or reduces the extra fines and fees added to your balance.

— Jamela Adam, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of fine

Noun

But Jackson argues the compensation itself is not a new development.

— Joshua Hong, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
The Overton window for acceptable AI use in Hollywood continues to widen as Hollywood actors, television hosts, and influencers embrace cloning with protections and compensation.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of compensation

Noun

Theoretically, Newcastle had decent capacity to bring in a forward from both a Premier League squad cost ratio (SCR) and a UEFA financial rules perspective.

— Chris Waugh, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Behrouz Mehri | Afp | Getty Images France's deteriorating public finances and political deadlock are becoming a growing concern for bond investors, with borrowing costs near financial-crisis-era highs as another difficult budget battle looms.

— Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of cost

Verb

Consider each target wounded by crushing knockdowns and then killed by piggy-backers, irrespective of the quality of the quarter.

— Jim Cramer, CNBC, 30 Aug. 2026
Aargau Cantonal Police said one person was killed and five others were wounded after shots were fired at the event in the town of Aarau, a scenic area known for its lush valleys, medieval castles and thermal springs.

— Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of wound

Noun

Parten said two police officers were wounded by gunfire and another had unspecified injuries.

— Michael Loria, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
Players can also request a three-minute medical time-out for each injury that occurs — which could include overheating symptoms such as dizziness or cramps.

— Aaron Short, Curbed, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of injury

Noun

After offside penalty on the Hawks on the PAT, the Warriors go for two and failed to convert on a wide receiver reverse.

— Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
Fisk and Overton use three surveys to trace how expectations of harsher penalties for failure can dampen women’s leadership ambitions.

— Laura Clawson, JSTOR Daily, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of penalty

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“Damage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/damage. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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