damaged
/ˈdæm.ɪdʒd/ (UK) · /ˈdæm.ɪdʒd/ (US) · /ˈdæm.ɪdʒ/ (UK) · /ˈdæm.ɪdʒ/ (US)
damaged — adjective
1. describing something that has been physically harmed, broken, or made less valua
describing something that has been physically harmed, broken, or made less valuable — for example, a box that was crushed during shipping, a phone that fell and cracked, or a wall that was hit by a car.
The delivery truck arrived with a damaged box on the passenger seat.
damaged + noun: position before a noun
Mei-Lin sent the damaged vase back to the shop and asked for a refund.
Three patients with damaged lungs were admitted after the factory fire.
Chidi checked the fence after the storm and found several damaged boards.
The laptop screen got damaged when Sofia accidentally knocked it off the desk.
文法句型
damaged + noun
be/get + damaged
用法筆記
Suggests the harm has already happened, rather than describing the act of causing harm — compare with 'damaging'.
常見錯誤
damaged — noun
- damagedsingular
- damagesplural
1. physical or emotional harm that makes something less useful, valuable, or health
physical or emotional harm that makes something less useful, valuable, or healthy — for example, a broken window after a storm, a burnt hand from a hot pan, or a company's reputation after a bad accident.
The storm caused serious damage to the roof of the village church.
cause + damage + to + noun
Omar claimed that smoke from the factory had done lasting damage to his health.
Kiran inspected the damage after the flood and called a repair company right away.
The puppy did surprising damage to the garden flowers in just one afternoon.
It took months to repair the damage the earthquake caused to the old bridge.
- harm
broader; can be physical, emotional, or abstract
- injury
usually for living things rather than objects
- destruction
stronger, suggests total ruin
- repair
the act of fixing something that was damaged
文法句型
damage + to + noun
cause/do/suffer + damage
用法筆記
Uncountable in this sense — do not say 'a damage' or 'damages' to mean physical harm. The plural form 'damages' has a different legal meaning (see sense 2).
常見錯誤
2. an amount of money that a court orders a person or company to pay to someone the
an amount of money that a court orders a person or company to pay to someone they have hurt or harmed — for example, paying a worker who was injured on the job, or money paid to a family after an accident caused by a faulty product.
The court ordered the factory to pay damages to the injured workers.
pay + damages + to + person
Amara's lawyer said she could claim damages for the accident at the train station.
claim + damages
A jury awarded damages of two million dollars to the family of the crash victim.
The company agreed to pay damages rather than go to a long court fight.
- compensation
more general; not limited to court-ordered payments
- reparations
formal, often for large-scale or historical harms
文法句型
pay/award/claim + damages
damages + of + amount
用法筆記
Always plural. Do not confuse with 'damage' (uncountable, meaning physical or emotional harm) — 'damages' specifically means money paid through the legal system.
常見錯誤
3. the amount of money needed to pay for something, especially when it is unexpecte
the amount of money needed to pay for something, especially when it is unexpectedly high — for example, the expense of fixing an old machine or the cost of running a business.
What's the damage for a night at that hotel near the harbor?
colloquial fixed expression: 'what's the damage?'
文法句型
what's the damage? — fixed phrase
用法筆記
This sense is very old-fashioned in serious writing. The fixed phrase 'what's the damage?' still appears in casual conversation as a joking way to ask 'how much does it cost?'.
常見錯誤
damaged — verb
- damagesthird-person singular
- damagedpast tense
- damagedpast participle
- damaging-ing form
1. to break, hurt, or harm something physically or in a way that reduces its value
to break, hurt, or harm something physically or in a way that reduces its value or usefulness — for example, a storm that breaks windows in a house, or a careless comment that ruins a friendship.
The heavy rain damaged several homes near the river last night.
damage + concrete noun (buildings)
Hiroshi accidentally damaged the printer when he tried to clear the paper jam.
Yael's careless comments during the meeting damaged her relationship with the team.
Leaving the phone in direct sunlight damaged the battery beyond repair.
Smoking can seriously damage your heart and lungs over many years.
文法句型
damage + noun phrase
用法筆記
Direct object is required. The object can be a physical thing (a car, a building) or an abstract thing (reputation, trust, relationship). Often used in health warnings with 'can seriously damage'.