damage 1 of 2

noun

ˈda-mij How to pronounce damage (audio)
Definition of damagenext
1
as in harm
something that causes loss or pain the collision did a great deal of damage to her car

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
3
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

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4
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

1
as in to injure
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of the explosion in the sewers damaged the entire city's water supply

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
Removing shoes at the door is especially helpful to prevent damage from high heels and cleats. —Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 14 Feb. 2026 But White House officials have privately grown frustrated with her performance, as Republican midterm strategists raise alarms about the political damage. —Michael Scherer, The Atlantic, 14 Feb. 2026
Verb
The barn was heavily damaged from the fire. —Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 15 Feb. 2026 Meanwhile, falling debris from Russian drones damaged civilian and transport infrastructure in Ukraine’s Odesa region, officials said, causing disruption to the power and water supply. —Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for damage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for damage
  1. harm
  2. fine
  3. compensation
  4. cost
  5. injure
  6. wound
  7. injury
  8. penalty
Noun
  • Kuhl said last year that jurors should have the chance to consider whether design features implemented by the companies, like endlessly scrolling feeds, have contributed to mental health harms, rather than content alone.
    — CNN.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2026
  • The vast majority of baby foods, drinks and snacks sold in the United States for children ages 6 months to 36 months are ultraprocessed and may contain additives increasingly linked to potential health harms, a new study found.
    — Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
Definition of harm
Noun
  • For a 10-surprise-course fine-dining experience, visit Quila.
    — Juliet Kinsman, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Feb. 2026
  • The $50,000 fine is for a first offense, and that amount doubles after a school’s second.
    — Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 8 Feb. 2026
Definition of fine
Noun
  • The Teamsters argue the program violates six articles of the five-year union contract because it wasn’t negotiated and any program that changes the terms of employment, such as compensation and separation, must be bargained with the union.
    — Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 13 Feb. 2026
  • That said, not all women who apply become surrogates, notes Enders-Tharp, and those who are selected are paid fair compensation for their role.
    — Kris Ann Valdez, Parents, 13 Feb. 2026
Definition of compensation
Noun
  • During warmer months, when the path is crowded with tourists in leisure mode, anyone who walks with a purpose should avoid the Bridge at all costs.
    — Katie James Watkinson, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Feb. 2026
  • For electricity, that means expanding dispatchable generation, especially natural gas, strengthening the grid, streamlining permitting, and ensuring reliability is prioritized over mandates that raise costs or weaken supply.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
Definition of cost
Verb
  • Dozens more were injured, many suffering serious or life-threatening injuries.
    — Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
  • Italy’s national fire and rescue service, Vigili del Fuoco, reported that, over the weekend, two people died and one was seriously injured in Alpe Meriggio in Valtellina after being caught in an avalanche that fatally buried at least one of the victims.
    — Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 11 Feb. 2026
Definition of injure
Verb
  • And police officers, even those who had been wounded in the Pratt shooting, were now facing vitriol from the same people who had lauded them a year earlier for their sacrifice and service.
    — Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 15 Feb. 2026
  • Two other people were wounded, including another police officer involved in the search for Thompson.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 14 Feb. 2026
Definition of wound
Noun
  • Schwesinger also battled through an ankle injury this season, playing 16 of 17 games for Kevin Stefanski’s club.
    — Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 6 Feb. 2026
  • After several years of gradual development amid shifting roles and a major shoulder injury, Dosunmu cemented himself as an elite two-way player this season.
    — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
Definition of injury
Noun
  • Last Thursday, the league issued a $500,000 fine to the Utah Jazz and a $100,000 penalty to the Indiana Pacers for sitting healthy players, believing their apparent tanking actions compromised the league's competitive integrity.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Feb. 2026
  • But with the puck sitting just outside the crease on the Eichel chance, the Germans were forced to take a penalty.
    — Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 15 Feb. 2026
Definition of penalty

Browse Nearby Words

dam
damage
damaged
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Cite this Entry

“Damage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/damage. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on damage

Nglish: Translation of damage for Spanish Speakers

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