adjective

• 1Causing physical damage.

  ‘new cars are less damaging to the environment’

  More example sentences

  • ‘Raisins are a great source of powerful antioxidants, which can help ward off the damaging effects of free radicals produced during exercise.’
  • ‘Adults are free to make their own decisions, regardless of whether the result is damaging to their health.’
  • ‘Keep your security protection software up to date to combat the spread of damaging computer viruses.’
  • ‘The sun can heat the edges of pots potentially damaging the roots.’
  • ‘Physical force exerted for the purpose of violating, damaging, or abusing.’
  • ‘Ironically, CS spray, ostensibly introduced with the intention of protecting officers, may be damaging to health.’
  • ‘There is no knowledge about the potentially damaging side effects of genetic changes.’
  • ‘The next two years could see an enormously damaging swathe cut through the rich fabric of rural Wales.’
  • ‘A long list of damaging agents or conditions is known to activate the synthesis of heat-shock proteins.’
  • ‘Banning things which are damaging to health has logical conclusions, which extend far beyond smoking.’
  • ‘Australia's most damaging earthquake, a moderate 5.6 on the Richter scale, occurred in December 1989.’
  • ‘To avoid the damaging effects of light on museum pieces, a museum is being built below grade.’
  • ‘This reduction in motion allowed the ear to be clamped gently, reducing potentially damaging vibrations.’
  • ‘Rapidly the mind takes on obsessive tendencies, worrying illogically about the damaging effects that lack of sleep will have on the day ahead.’
  • ‘The plant outgrows the disease and symptoms are not apparent or at a damaging level.’
  • ‘Generating power through the use of fossil fuels is both unsustainable and environmentally damaging.’
  • ‘Studies done on mice suggest that astragalus enhances tumor cell destruction, and helps protect against the damaging effects of chemotherapy and radiation.’
  • ‘The challenge to the lung is to accomplish that processing without inappropriate and potentially damaging inflammatory amplification.’
  • ‘To ignore the last two elements in the chain is, some would argue, more damaging than eschewing responsibility for the planet.’
  • ‘These ships accounted for the sinking or damaging of a number of warships and merchant ships.’

  1. 1.1Having a detrimental effect on someone or something.
     ‘damaging allegations of corruption’
     More example sentences

     • ‘Detectives are considering whether to pursue a criminal inquiry against the Cabinet members in a further damaging blow to the Prime Minister.’
     • ‘Over recent years the loss of Government jobs in Lismore has had a damaging effect on our economy.’
     • ‘The growing controversy surrounding the garda tyre deal must be damaging confidence in the force.’
     • ‘A second tainted election, followed by more bare-knuckled partisan conflict, Mr. Christopher said, would be far more damaging.’
     • ‘Therefore we need to clear away the damaging public view of the party.’
     • ‘Institutional resistance would presumably be punished by the withdrawal of funds, which would be extremely damaging to Middle East centres especially.’
     • ‘However, Lorimer believes the most damaging errors of judgement committed by O'Leary were on the field.’
     • ‘Efforts to rein in supposedly damaging speculation have run the gamut from requiring futures exchanges to raise margins to an outright ban on trading.’
     • ‘A more damaging effect followed the 1992 general election.’
     • ‘A shorter life span is just one of the many damaging effects of poverty.’
     • ‘The general, who stood guard at the scene, said that there were several damaging rumors circulating in the masses.’
     • ‘The marginalisation of basics has been one of the most damaging trends in contemporary educational theory.’
     • ‘Your industry is often accused of being damaging to women, yet you assert that you are an active feminist.’
     • ‘The result of the judge's ruling on evidence from Jackson's past has been more damaging than Gavin Arvizo's testimony could ever have been.’
     • ‘Most damaging of all to this perfectly free society is its lack of a mechanism of correction.’
     • ‘Consider suppressing potentially damaging information from public view.’
     • ‘This newspaper has argued that a protracted battle between two outstanding candidates is not inherently damaging to the Democrat cause.’
     • ‘It was still hot news and damaging for Mr Brown.’
     • ‘This is the devolution program and will have a very damaging effect on our treaty rights.’