damning
adj.showing very clearly that someone is guilty or that something is a complete failure. You use it to describe evidence or reports that are impossible to argue against.
adj.providing extremely strong evidence of guilt, failure, or error. Often describes testimony, evidence, or reports that are impossible to refute.
“The witness gave a damning account of the events.”
“The leaked emails provided damning evidence that the company had ignored safety warnings for years.”
“The committee's final report was a damning indictment of the administration's failure to prepare for the predicted economic downturn.”
Typically used attributively before a noun like 'evidence', 'report', or 'testimony'.
Learners often forget the silent 'n' before the 'ing' suffix, confusing it with the spelling of 'dam' (a water barrier).
“There have been decades of mistreatment and mismanagement of those who seek help later in life, say experts in a new, damning report.”
“If that sounds like damning with faint praise, he decided not to waste any more words on its “unresisting imbecility”.”