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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

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

Steel asked after confronting Hester with a seemingly damaging jail call with his wife. — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 2026 Hamza Iqbal, 20, Rehan Khan, 19, Judex Atshatshi, and Saif Ali, both 18, faced a charge of destroying or damaging property and of being reckless as to whether life would be endangered. — ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026

Verb

The project took about six months to develop, with much of the work focused on designing a reliable mechanism that could consistently grip and launch shuttlecocks without damaging or misdirecting them. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 1 Sep. 2026 Prune based on bloom type and timing to avoid damaging stems and ensure strong flowers next year. — The Spruce, 1 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for damaging

Recent Examples of Synonyms for damaging

Adjective

But fasted training isn’t necessarily harmful to muscle gain, Maroldi adds.

— Daryl Austin, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
What’s considered harmful to minors can be subjective, and this is where experts believe laws requiring age verification can run afoul of the First Amendment.

— ABC News, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of harmful

Verb

Young people armed with machetes stormed the site of the funeral, forcing the team to flee and injuring one member, a representative told the Associated Press.

— Constant Same Bagalwa, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
The lawsuit states that the accused was arrested in May 2021 for injuring a man and damaging multiple vehicles after discharging a firearm more than 20 times at a Kissimmee gas station and then fleeing the scene.

— Evonne Andris, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of injuring

Verb

Christian Castro faces Minnesota charges of assault and falsely reporting a crime after allegedly firing through a home’s front door and wounding 24-year-old Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis during an immigration crackdown.

— Michael Gonzalez, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
Brooklyn Center police say an investigation is underway after two girls riding a minibike collided with a motorist, fatally wounding one of the girls.

— Cole Premo, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of wounding

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

Recent polling shows that high pump prices are driving down presidential approval and hurting Republicans ahead of the midterm elections.

— Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026
Any increase to interest rates that could cool inflation also risks hurting the jobs market.

— Damian J. Troise, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of hurting

Verb

For Zarina Pino, a medical doctor, the calendar change this year feels particularly meaningful, as a Miami-Dade County Public Schools alumna herself who never got to embrace the holiday without compromising her schoolwork.

— Jimena Tavel, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026
Luxury fibers introduce refined sensory qualities without compromising denim’s structure.

— Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of compromising

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damages

damaging

dame

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Style

“Damaging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/damaging. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of damaging

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

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