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Glite Dictionary
💥 Causing harm 🗣️ Hurting reputation
damaging

damaging

40 4.6
Likely or intended to harm a person's reputation by saying bad things about them
  • adjective
  • /ˈdæmɪdʒɪŋ/
translation icon : difamatorio (sobre la reputación)
  • Her testimony about the flagrant disregard for safety procedures was extremely damaging to the company's reputation.
  • politically damaging
  • damaging stereotypes

He and Hague had a relationship and that's where the damaging information was coming from.

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Examples

  • I will not... I repeat, will not let you simply make wild and damaging accusations.

    Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (2009)

  • The second was more prolonged, more damaging, because no hope was attached to it.

    Academic text (2010)

  • You know, and there are certainly things that could be published that would be damaging to national security and or would put people at risk.

  • It's going to be even more damaging because now they may have to come face to face with the person they put in prison.

  • The only way to stop her nomination at this point is to find something damaging in her past.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • Well, let's make a better impression this time, because his statement was really damaging.

    Third Person (2014)

  • This is damaging to the company, not just Ms. Hwang as an individual.

    Abraham And Lincoln (2007)

  • His testimony has been inadmissible and very damaging to my client.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • The result internationally was damaging to relationships among key North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies.

    Academic text (2005)

  • Agency is indisputably vital, and representing Native people as passive victims is not only damaging but also inaccurate.

    Academic text (2006)

Synonyms

negative
vsdamaging
974 2.9

Causing harm or showing strong dislike

focuses specifically on harming reputation rather than general negativity
harmful
vsdamaging
161 2.6

Causing damage to people, animals or things

applies to harm aimed at reputation and credibility not general damage
detrimental
vsdamaging
49 6.3

Causing harm to people, things, or the environment

refers to hurting reputation or credibility rather than general harm
derogatory
vsdamaging
39 6.9

Expressing an insulting, disrespectful view of someone or something

targets reputation by criticizing without offering constructive help
defamatory
vsdamaging
  • Formal
11 7.9

False statements about a person or group that harm their reputation

covers intentional reputational harm even without false statements
denigrative
vsdamaging
  • Offensive
9.3

Saying things to make someone look bad, often unfair or untrue

is intentional harm to reputation regardless of truth or constructiveness
denigrating
vsdamaging
7.7

Harming someone's reputation by saying unfair or untrue things

focuses on harming reputation even when not constructive

Antonyms

supportive
348 2.8

Willing to give help or comfort when someone needs it

constructive
144 3.9

Helpful in a way that makes something better

How Damaging

defamatory
  • Formal
11 7.9
damaging
40 4.6
unfavorable
  • US
31 4.5
innocuous
30 6.5

Surface Forms

damaging positive

Morphology

damaging = damage (transparent) = damage + ing

Formed by the regular suffixation of '-ing' to 'damage' to produce an adjective meaning 'causing harm', here applied to reputation which is a straightforward extension.

Etymology

Damaging comes from the word damage, from old Latin damnum meaning 'loss' or 'harm'. So a damaging remark is one that causes harm to someone's reputation or standing.