# damaging

/ˈdæmɪdʒɪŋ/ (US) · /dˈæmɪdʒɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/damaging
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. causing harm

adjective · CEFR B1

causing harm or injury to someone or something.

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

- Smoking has a damaging effect on your lungs and overall health.
- 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. the act of harming

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

the act of breaking or hurting something.

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

- The accidental damaging of the painting was a tragedy for the museum.
- The systematic damaging of the ecosystem through industrial runoff has led to a significant loss of local biodiversity over the last decade.

## Examples

- Smoking is very damaging to your health.
- The heavy storm was damaging to the local crops, leading to a smaller harvest this year.
- The leaked documents proved highly damaging to the politician's reputation, undermining years of public service and trust within a single weekend.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.