English Dictionary
Definition damage in British English
damage
noun
What are red words?
Around 90% of spoken and written English relies on just 7,500 common words.
These words are highlighted in red and are ranked using a star system.
- One-star words are commonly used
- Two-star words are even more common
- Three-star words are the most frequently used
noun
What are red words?
Around 90% of spoken and written English relies on just 7,500 common words.These words are highlighted in red and are ranked using a star system.
- One-star words are commonly used
- Two-star words are even more common
- Three-star words are the most frequently used
▪ extensive, heavy, irreparable, irreversible, permanent, serious, severe, significant, untold, widespread
When damage means ‘harm or injury’ it is an uncountable noun, and so:
▪ it is never used in the plural
▪ it never comes after a or a number
✗ These toxins can cause damages to the lungs and brains.
✓ These toxins can cause damage to the lungs and brains.
✗ They should consider the serious damages that their decisions may cause.
✓ They should consider the serious damage that their decisions may cause.
✗ A great damage has been done to agriculture, forests, and people’s health.
✓ Great damage has been done to agriculture, forests, and people’s health.
The plural form damages is a specialized legal term meaning ‘money that a court orders you to pay someone because you have harmed them or their property’.
Mr Galloway was awarded substantial damages.
The house suffered only superficial damage in the fire.
Mining in the area was doing irreparable damage to the environment.
The revelations caused untold damage to his political reputation.
