damages
damages — noun
1. money that a court orders someone to pay after another person has been hurt, tre
money that a court orders someone to pay after another person has been hurt, treated unfairly, or made to lose something through that person's actions.
The judge awarded damages after the landlord ignored the tenant's safety complaints.
award damages after + wrongdoing
After the bus crash, Marta received damages for her medical bills and lost wages.
receive damages for + loss
The company paid damages to two farmers whose fields its waste had polluted.
Because the article was false, the actor sued the magazine for damages.
- compensation
broader and not limited to money ordered by a court
- award
often used for the official sum decided in a case
- reparations
more formal and often used for large-scale historical or political payment
- penalty
money paid as punishment rather than as compensation to the injured side
文法句型
award damages
pay damages to + person
sue for damages
用法筆記
Usually follows legal verbs such as award, pay, claim, or sue for. Distinguish from sense 2: sense 1 is the money paid, while sense 2 is the harm that led to it.
常見錯誤
2. the harm, loss, or bad effect that an action causes to a person, property, or a
the harm, loss, or bad effect that an action causes to a person, property, or a good name.
The report described damages to the bridge after the night-long fire.
damages to + property
Lawyers argued that the leak caused damages to the singer's public image.
damages to + reputation
Inspectors photographed the damages before the shop owner cleaned the walls.
The court looked at emotional damages as well as the lost income.
- protection
keeps people or property safe instead of exposing them to harm
- repair
restores something after damage has been done
文法句型
damages to + property/reputation
emotional damages
describe damages
用法筆記
Often appears in legal or formal discussion of harm to property, health, or reputation. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense names the injury itself, not the money paid afterward.
3. the amount of money something costs or the expense involved in doing it.
the amount of money something costs or the expense involved in doing it.
Before ordering new curtains, Lena asked the shop what the damages would be.
what the damages would be
Tell me the damages for replacing the screen, and I'll decide today.
the damages for + thing
The club split the damages for the hall between all twelve families.
Once we knew the damages, we cut two items from the trip.
- saving
money kept back instead of money that must be spent
文法句型
what the damages are
the damages for + thing
know the damages
用法筆記
Often appears when someone asks or talks casually about what something will cost. It sounds less neutral and less exact than price or total.
damages — verb
1. to hurt, spoil, or weaken someone or something so that they do not work, grow, o
to hurt, spoil, or weaken someone or something so that they do not work, grow, or look as they should.
Salt water damages the metal lock if you leave it outside.
damages + object
Smoking damages the small blood vessels behind the eyes.
damages + body part
Strong sunlight damages the sofa fabric near the south window.
A careless rumor damages trust inside a close family.
文法句型
damages + object
[cause] damages + body part/material/reputation
用法筆記
Usually takes a thing, body part, or reputation as its object. It focuses on causing harm, not on the money paid later in noun sense 1.