Damage means harm or injury that makes something less valuable, useful, or whole. When you accidentally drop a plate and it cracks, you've caused damage to the plate. When a storm knocks down tree branches and breaks windows, it damages property. A scratched book, a dented bicycle, a torn jacket: these all show damage.

The word applies to physical things but also to relationships and reputations. You can damage a friendship by breaking a promise or spreading rumors. A politician might worry that a scandal will damage their reputation. A lie can damage someone's trust in you, even if nothing physical gets broken.

Damage can be a noun (the harm itself) or a verb (the act of causing harm). In everyday conversation, people sometimes ask “What's the damage?” when they want to know the total cost of something, like a restaurant bill.

While some damage can be repaired, fixing things takes time and effort, and sometimes the damage leaves permanent marks. A repaired friendship might be strong again, but both people remember what happened.