damaged goods

plural noun

: a person considered to be flawed or spoiled in character, efficiency, or worth

Examples of damaged goods in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Lost or damaged goods and inaccurate records also play a part. Jennifer Williams-Alvarez, WSJ, 9 Jan. 2024 Could Greitens be damaged goods? Mica Soellner, Washington Examiner, 28 Mar. 2021 Story was damaged goods when the Red Sox signed him last March. Peter Abraham, BostonGlobe.com, 14 Jan. 2023 But the Conservatives have to decide if Truss is permanently damaged goods in the eyes of the voters. Peter Weber, The Week, 17 Oct. 2022 One was due to shifting priorities that made an allegedly medicore streaming flick damaged goods from a prior regime. Scott Mendelson, Forbes, 12 Aug. 2022 The hot candidate one offseason can be damaged goods the next if he’s passed over for too many jobs. Dallas News, 27 Jan. 2022 The son who cringingly rapped at an event celebrating his dad’s half-century reign at Waystar Royco was always damaged goods. Los Angeles Times, 2 Dec. 2021 He was damaged goods—parents dead, schooled abroad too long, cut off from the oxygen of living in this place. Daniyal Mueenuddin, The New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'damaged goods.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1807, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of damaged goods was in 1807

Dictionary Entries Near damaged goods

Cite this Entry

“Damaged goods.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/damaged%20goods. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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