damaging trend

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "damaging trend" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a negative or harmful pattern or development in a particular context, such as social, economic, or environmental issues. Example: "The increasing rates of pollution represent a damaging trend that could have severe consequences for public health."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

10 human-written examples

The education secretary has previously described early entry as a "damaging trend that is harming the interests of many pupils", adding that there is evidence that "candidates who enter early perform worse overall than those who do not, even after resits are taken into account".

BBC

The bill continues the damaging trend of demonising kids - introducing new provisions to name and shame them if they breach injunctions.

The Guardian

"We hope the fall in giving shown in our survey is a temporary decline and not the start of a damaging trend.

The Guardian - Money

Local government's future Despite the scope of some officers' remits, in local government legitimacy rests with elected members and there are few realistic suggestions as to how to reverse this particularly damaging trend in female under-representation.

The Guardian

But measures taken by the government had "reversed the damaging trend" and more than 90% of the rise in employment over the past year went to UK nationals, they said.

The Guardian

Education Secretary Michael Gove is to discourage what he says is the "damaging trend" of struggling pupils taking GCSEs early.

BBC

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

50 human-written examples

For all structures, a top-to-bottom progressive damage trend was observed.

Procedia Engineering

The aim of the work was to automatically classify known potentially damaging events, while also allowing engineers to observe and localise any long term damage trends.

Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence

In a follow-up post on FiveThirtyEight, Pielke claimed that these technological advancements to mitigate disaster damages don't make a difference in damage trends "for floods, U.S. hurricanes or tornadoes".

The Guardian

And many Republicans worry this election will only accelerate that trend, damaging their party for years to come with what is now the fastest-growing minority in the country.

The New York Times

Economists are concerned that the American economy could be further damaged if this trend continues, especially if European demand remains weak.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using the phrase "damaging trend", ensure you clearly articulate what is being damaged and the scope or scale of the trend. Provide specific evidence or examples to support your claim.

Common error

Avoid using "damaging trend" without specifying the affected area or the severity of the impact. For instance, instead of stating "This is a damaging trend", specify "The decline in funding for arts education is a damaging trend for students' creativity and cultural awareness".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "damaging trend" functions as a noun phrase where the adjective "damaging" modifies the noun "trend". It serves to categorize and describe a particular development or pattern as being harmful or detrimental. This assessment is also supported by Ludwig AI.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

32%

Formal & Business

8%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "damaging trend" effectively describes a concerning development, as affirmed by Ludwig AI. It's a noun phrase that appears most frequently in news and media and scientific contexts, signaling a negative pattern that warrants attention. While grammatically sound, it's best used with clear context and specific examples to avoid overgeneralization. Alternatives like "harmful tendency" or "negative development" can be used depending on the desired nuance. Ensure the impact of the "damaging trend" is specified to enhance clarity and persuasiveness in your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

harmful tendency

Changes the noun to "tendency" to focus on a disposition or inclination rather than a direction.

negative development

Replaces both the adjective and noun with more general terms to describe an adverse situation.

detrimental pattern

Substitutes "damaging" with "detrimental" and "trend" with "pattern", both suggesting an adverse effect and observable regularity.

unfavorable movement

Employs "unfavorable" to describe a negative effect and "movement" to signify a shift or progression.

adverse direction

Uses "adverse" to indicate a negative outcome and "direction" to denote a course or path.

destructive course

Replaces "damaging" with "destructive" emphasizing potential for ruin and "trend" with "course" to portray a route or progression.

deleterious shift

Substitutes "damaging" with "deleterious" to specify harm and "trend" with "shift" to indicate a change in direction.

injurious inclination

Replaces "damaging" with "injurious", highlighting potential for harm, and "trend" with "inclination", to show a leaning or tendency.

undesirable drift

Uses "undesirable" to signify a state of not being wanted and "drift" to mean a gradual movement or change.

problematic evolution

Employs "problematic" to highlight issues and "evolution" to suggest gradual development.

FAQs

How can I use "damaging trend" in a sentence?

You can use "damaging trend" to describe a negative pattern or development. For example, "The increasing rates of deforestation represent a "damaging trend" that threatens biodiversity".

What's a phrase similar to "damaging trend"?

Similar phrases include "harmful tendency", "negative development", or "detrimental pattern". The best choice depends on the specific context.

Is "damaging trend" formal or informal?

"Damaging trend" is suitable for both formal and informal contexts. Its appropriateness depends more on the surrounding language and the overall tone of the communication.

What verbs commonly collocate with "damaging trend"?

Verbs often used with "damaging trend" include "reverse", "continue", "halt", "identify", and "address". For example, "Measures are needed to reverse the "damaging trend" of declining literacy rates".