ENGLISH
REFERENCE

damaging

adj. · n.
US //ˈdæmɪdʒɪŋ// UK //dˈæmɪdʒɪŋ// dam·ag·ing
  1. 1 causing harm (adj.)
    B1 Intermediate

    causing harm or injury to someone or something.

    causing physical, emotional, or abstract harm; often used to describe effects on health, the environment, or reputations.

    Example

    Smoking has a damaging effect on your lungs and overall health.

    Example

    The leaked documents proved highly damaging to the senator's reputation, leading to a sharp decline in his approval ratings just weeks before the election.
  2. 2 the act of harming (n.)
    C1 Advanced Formal

    the act of breaking or hurting something.

    the action or process of inflicting harm or injury; functions as a gerund.

    Example

    The accidental damaging of the painting was a tragedy for the museum.

    Example

    The systematic damaging of the ecosystem through industrial runoff has led to a significant loss of local biodiversity over the last decade.
Origin

From damage + -ing.

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