damage

B1 Topic:Safety & Risk

US /ˈdæmɪd͡ʒ/ See IPA manual

Freq #1791

Meanings

1

noun
Physical harm that makes something less useful or valuable.

The storm did a lot of damage to the area.
2

verb
To harm something so that it is broken or made less good.

Be careful not to damage the fragile glasses while unpacking.
3

noun
Money paid to someone for harm or loss caused to them (usually plural).

The court ordered the company to pay damages to the workers.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · physical harm that makes... harm hurt

2 verb · to harm something so that... harm

3 noun · money paid to someone for... legal injury

Word family

Forms damages

Derived forms cryodamagedamageabilitydamageabledamagefuldamagelessdamageousdamagermicrodamagenanodamageneurodamagephotodamageredamage

Related forms damn indemnity

Appears in

Phrases (4)

See all

damage health
to cause harm to one's physical condition

Verb + noun
damage the brain
to cause harm to brain function or tissue

Verb + noun
damage cells
To harm biological cells physically or chemically

Verb + noun
collateral damage
unintended harm to civilians or civilian property during military action

Adjective + noun

Idioms (1)

See all

what's the damage
used informally to ask how much something costs

Etymology

From Middle English damage, from Old French damage, from Vulgar Latin *damnāticum from Classical Latin damnum. Compare modern French dommage. Largely displaced native Middle English scath (whence unscathed). Cognate with Spanish daño.

*deh₂p- Proto-Indo-European damage Middle English *damnāticum la-vul damnum Latin scath Middle English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Safety & Risk

External links

# damage

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈdæmɪd͡ʒ/
**Frequency rank:** 1791

## Meanings
1. Physical harm that makes something less useful or valuable.
2. To harm something so that it is broken or made less good.
3. Money paid to someone for harm or loss caused to them (usually plural).

## Examples
- The storm did a lot of damage to the area.
- Be careful not to damage the fragile glasses while unpacking.
- The court ordered the company to pay damages to the workers.

## Derived Forms
- cryodamage
- damageability
- damageable
- damageful
- damageless
- damageous
- damager
- microdamage
- nanodamage
- neurodamage
- photodamage
- redamage

## Related Forms
- damn
- indemnity

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *deh₂p-
- Root: damage
- Root: *damnāticum
- Root: damnum
- Root: scath

## Etymology
From Middle English damage, from Old French damage, from Vulgar Latin *damnāticum from Classical Latin damnum. Compare modern French dommage. Largely displaced native Middle English scath (whence unscathed). Cognate with Spanish daño.

## AI Etymology
damage comes from Middle English damage, from Old French damage, from Vulgar Latin *damnāticum from Classical Latin damnum. Compare modern French dommage. Largely displaced native Middle English scath (whence unscathed). Cognate with Spanish daño. The historical chain includes Proto-Indo-European *deh₂p-, Middle English damage, Old French damage, la-vul *damnāticum, Latin damnum, and later related forms. Current senses include Physical harm that makes something less useful or valuable and to harm something so that it is broken or made less good. English relatives and later formations include cryodamage, damageability, damageable, damn, indemnity.

## Topics
- Safety & Risk

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