DAMAGE Synonyms: 222 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'damage' distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of damage are harm , hurt , impair , injure , and mar . While all these words mean "to affect injuriously," damage suggests injury that lowers value or impairs usefulness. // a table damaged in shipping

Q: When can 'harm' be used instead of 'damage'?

Although the words harm and damage have much in common, harm often stresses the inflicting of pain, suffering, or loss. // careful not to harm the animals

Q: Where would 'hurt' be a reasonable alternative to 'damage'?

In some situations, the words hurt and damage are roughly equivalent. However, hurt implies inflicting a wound to the body or to the feelings. // hurt by their callous remarks

Q: When might 'impair' be a better fit than 'damage'?

The words impair and damage are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, impair suggests a making less complete or efficient by deterioration or diminution. // years of smoking had impaired his health

Q: When could 'injure' be used to replace 'damage'?

While the synonyms injure and damage are close in meaning, injure implies the inflicting of anything detrimental to one's looks, comfort, health, or success. // badly injured in an accident

Q: In what contexts can 'mar' take the place of 'damage'?

The words mar and damage can be used in similar contexts, but mar applies to injury that spoils perfection (as of a surface) or causes disfigurement. // the text is marred by many typos

Q: How is the word 'damage' distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of damage are harm , hurt , impair , injure , and mar . While all these words mean "to affect injuriously," damage suggests injury that lowers value or impairs usefulness. // a table damaged in shipping

Q: When can 'harm' be used instead of 'damage'?

Although the words harm and damage have much in common, harm often stresses the inflicting of pain, suffering, or loss. // careful not to harm the animals

Q: Where would 'hurt' be a reasonable alternative to 'damage'?

In some situations, the words hurt and damage are roughly equivalent. However, hurt implies inflicting a wound to the body or to the feelings. // hurt by their callous remarks

Q: When might 'impair' be a better fit than 'damage'?

The words impair and damage are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, impair suggests a making less complete or efficient by deterioration or diminution. // years of smoking had impaired his health

damage 1 of 2

noun

ˈda-mij

Definition of damage next

as in harm

something that causes loss or pain the collision did a great deal of damage to her car

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in fine

damages plural a sum of money to be paid as a punishment ordered by the court to pay $1000 in damages

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in compensation

damages plural payment to another for a loss or injury the company was forced to pay millions in damages to the permanently disabled worker

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in cost

the amount of money that is demanded as payment for something he winced when he saw the damage after the family's shopping spree

Synonyms & Similar Words

damage

2 of 2

verb

as in to injure

to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of the explosion in the sewers damaged the entire city's water supply

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to wound

to cause bodily damage to his knee was badly damaged in the accident, and he walked with a limp for months

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word damage distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of damage are harm, hurt, impair, injure, and mar. While all these words mean "to affect injuriously," damage suggests injury that lowers value or impairs usefulness.

a table damaged in shipping

When can harm be used instead of damage?

Although the words harm and damage have much in common, harm often stresses the inflicting of pain, suffering, or loss.

careful not to harm the animals

Where would hurt be a reasonable alternative to damage?

In some situations, the words hurt and damage are roughly equivalent. However, hurt implies inflicting a wound to the body or to the feelings.

hurt by their callous remarks

When might impair be a better fit than damage?

The words impair and damage are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, impair suggests a making less complete or efficient by deterioration or diminution.

years of smoking had impaired his health

When could injure be used to replace damage?

While the synonyms injure and damage are close in meaning, injure implies the inflicting of anything detrimental to one's looks, comfort, health, or success.

badly injured in an accident

In what contexts can mar take the place of damage?

The words mar and damage can be used in similar contexts, but mar applies to injury that spoils perfection (as of a surface) or causes disfigurement.

the text is marred by many typos

How is the word damage distinct from other similar verbs?

a table damaged in shipping

When can harm be used instead of damage?

Although the words harm and damage have much in common, harm often stresses the inflicting of pain, suffering, or loss.

careful not to harm the animals

Where would hurt be a reasonable alternative to damage?

In some situations, the words hurt and damage are roughly equivalent. However, hurt implies inflicting a wound to the body or to the feelings.

hurt by their callous remarks

When might impair be a better fit than damage?

The words impair and damage are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, impair suggests a making less complete or efficient by deterioration or diminution.

years of smoking had impaired his health

When could injure be used to replace damage?

While the synonyms injure and damage are close in meaning, injure implies the inflicting of anything detrimental to one's looks, comfort, health, or success.

badly injured in an accident

In what contexts can mar take the place of damage?

The words mar and damage can be used in similar contexts, but mar applies to injury that spoils perfection (as of a surface) or causes disfigurement.

the text is marred by many typos

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of damage

Noun

Over $5 billion in home damage is caused by termites, according to Terminix’s latest report. —

Charlotte Maracina, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026 In a damage survey completed Friday, the National Weather Service confirmed tornadoes touched down in the cities of Kearney and Stanberry, Missouri, which are located in Clay and Gentry counties, respectively. —

Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 25 Apr. 2026

Verb

So the infrastructure itself has been damaged. —

CBS News, 26 Apr. 2026 More than 70,000 people are eligible to vote for municipal government in Deir al-Balah, a central Gaza city that has been damaged by airstrikes but was spared an Israeli ground invasion. —

Sam Metz, Arkansas Online, 26 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for damage

Recent Examples of Synonyms for damage

Noun

Doe alleges the school’s failure to act caused long-term emotional and psychological harm that continues today.

— Lexi Nicklaus, Baltimore Sun, 28 Apr. 2026
The guidance states that potential harms in this age group, including false positives, psychological distress, overdiagnosis, overtreatment and radiation exposure, may outweigh the uncertain benefits of screening.

— Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 28 Apr. 2026

Definition of harm

Browse Nearby Words

dam

damage

damaged

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Damage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/damage. Accessed 2 May. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of damage

noun

verb

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on damage

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

exasperate

Popular in Grammar & Usage

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

5 Verbal Slip Ups and Language Mistakes

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Other Words for Beautiful

The Words of the Week - May 1

Was 'nervous Nellie' a Real Person?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

The Longest Long Words List

9 Other Words for Beautiful

Games & Quizzes