damaging

1 of 2

adjective

dam·​ag·​ing ˈda-mi-jiŋ 

: causing or able to cause damage : injurious

has a damaging effect on wildlife

damagingly

ˈda-mi-jiŋ-lē 

adverb

damaging

2 of 2

present participle of damage entry 2

Synonyms of damaging

Adjective

• harmful
• detrimental
• dangerous
• adverse

Examples of damaging in a Sentence

Adjective

the damaging effects of the sun on your skin

The storm may produce damaging winds.

He says he has damaging information about the candidate.

The evidence was very damaging to their case.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Hurricane Isaias will bring damaging winds, heavy rainfall and flash flooding to the area. — Nicole Pilsbury, Baltimore Sun, 8 Oct. 2026

But for the most part, both are getting their points across, landing a few licks and, so far, avoiding the sort of major gaffe or damaging moment that could reshape the race. — AJC.com, 7 Oct. 2026

Our hypothesis is that as tyrosine levels in the brain increase, TyrRS enzyme levels drop and cause damaging effects on the brains of those with Alzheimer’s. — Sajish Mathew, The Conversation, 7 Oct. 2026

The region stretching from North Dakota to Texas contains a large share of the country’s beef production, Hanson said, making prolonged drought there particularly damaging. — Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 6 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1828, in the meaning defined above