ENGLISH
REFERENCE

damning

adj.
C1 Advanced US //ˈdæmɪŋ// UK //dˈæmɪŋ// damn·ing

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.


SIMPLE

The witness gave a damning account of the events.

CONTEXTUAL

The leaked emails provided damning evidence that the company had ignored safety warnings for years.

COMPLEX

The committee's final report was a damning indictment of the administration's failure to prepare for the predicted economic downturn.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Usage

Typically used attributively before a noun like 'evidence', 'report', or 'testimony'.

Pitfall

The evidence was very damming.The evidence was very damning.Learners often forget the silent 'n' before the 'ing' suffix, confusing it with the spelling of 'dam' (a water barrier).

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