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Definition of damage verb from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

  

damage

 verb
verb
NAmE//ˈdæmɪdʒ//
 
damage something/somebodyVerb Forms present simple I / you / we / they damage
 
he / she / it damages
 
past simple damaged
 
-ing form damaging
 
 
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 to harm or spoil something or someone The fire badly damaged the town hall. Several vehicles were damaged in the crash. Smoking seriously damages your health. The allegations are likely to damage his political career. emotionally damaged children Topic CollocationsInjuriesbeing injured
  • have a fall/an injury
  • receive/suffer/sustain a serious injury/a hairline fracture/a gunshot wound/a concussion/whiplash injuries
  • hurt/injure your ankle/back/leg
  • damage the brain/an ankle ligament/your liver/the optic nerve/the skin
  • pull/strain/tear a hamstring/ligament/muscle/tendon
  • sprain/twist your ankle/wrist
  • break a bone/your collarbone/your leg/three ribs
  • fracture/crack your skull
  • break/chip/knock out/lose a tooth
  • burst/perforate your eardrum
  • dislocate your finger/hip/jaw/shoulder/elbow
  • bruise/cut/graze your arm/knee/shoulder
  • burn/scald yourself/your tongue
  • bang/bump/hit your elbow/head/knee (on/against something)
treating injuries
  • treat somebody for burns/a head injury/a stab wound
  • examine/clean/dress/bandage/treat a bullet wound
  • repair a damaged/torn ligament/tendon/cartilage
  • amputate/cut off an arm/a finger/a foot/a leg/a limb
  • put on (formal) apply/take off a Band-Aid™/a sterile dressing/a bandage
  • need/require/put in/get/take out stitches
  • put on/rub on (formal) apply cream/ointment/lotion
  • have/receive/undergo physical therapy
Thesaurusdamage
  • hurt
  • harm
  • impair
These words all mean to have a bad effect on someone or something.
  • damage to cause physical harm to something, making it less attractive, useful, or valuable; to have a bad effect on someone or something's health, happiness, or chances of success:The fire badly damaged the town hall. emotionally damaged children
  • hurt (somewhat informal) to have a bad effect on someone or something's life, health, happiness, or chances of success:Hard work never hurt anyone.
  • harm to have a bad effect on someone or something's life, health, happiness, or chances of success:Pollution can harm marine life.
damage, hurt, or harm?
  • Hurt is slightly less formal than damage or harm, especially when it is used in negative statements:It won't hurt him to have to wait a bit. It won't damage/harm him to have to wait a bit.Harm is also often used to talk about ways in which things in the natural world, such as wildlife and the environment, are affected by human activity.
  • impair (somewhat formal) to damage someone's health, abilities, or chances:Even one drink can impair driving performance.
Patterns
  • to damage/hurt/harm/impair somebody's chances
  • to damage/hurt/harm somebody's interests/reputation
  • to damage/harm/impair somebody's health
  • to seriously/greatly damage/hurt/harm/impair somebody/something
  • to badly/severely damage/hurt/impair somebody/something
See damage in the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary