damaging
UK: ˈdæmɪdʒɪŋ | US: ˈdæmɪdʒɪŋ
adj. causing physical or emotional harm
vt. present participle of damage: the act of harming or impairing something
The word damaging derives from the verb damage, which entered Middle English from Old French damager ("to injure"), itself rooted in Latin damnum ("loss, harm"). The suffix -ing forms the present participle, indicating an ongoing action. The morpheme damag- preserves the core idea of harm, while -ing adds grammatical function, creating an adjective or verb form. This structure reflects a straightforward evolution from Latin through French, retaining the original concept of inflicting harm.
The storm left a trail of damaging winds and floods.
Smoking is highly damaging to your lungs.
False rumors can be emotionally damaging.
The lawyer argued that the policy was economically damaging.
Harsh chemicals are damaging to the environment.