obvious damage

USAGE SUMMARY

"obvious damage" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
You could use it to describe physical destruction that is easily observable, such as a house left severely damaged in a storm. For example, "The storm caused obvious damage to the old house."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

No obvious damage can be observed to these buildings a & b Fig. 16 Damaged buildings with brick structure in Changu village.

Geoenvironmental Disasters

So that, I think, would be the most obvious damage.

The New Yorker

The crisis has done no obvious damage to the potency of American workers.

The Economist

During slow, close-up scans of the reinforced carbon structures with a high-definition television camera and laser scanners, no obvious damage was spotted.

The New York Times

The most obvious damage for most pop stars in retirement would be to their egos, when nobody recognises them any more, but Skinner seems more or less unfazed.

The Guardian - Music

Gov. Sarah Palin made it through the vice-presidential debate on Thursday without doing any obvious damage to the Republican presidential ticket.

The New York Times

It's not just the obvious damage to the entertainment economy that all these petty and nonsensical laws are introducing, it's the damage to the entire economy.

The Guardian

Staring at the sun does obvious damage to the eyes and so viewers were armed with an array of devices of varying degrees of technical advancement.

The Guardian

Yet the lawsuits have been quite responsible, aimed at men accused of particularly repulsive deeds, without any obvious damage to peace processes.

The Economist

Infringing copyrights, secretly tracking Web site visits or making prerecorded calls to cellphones can all prompt lawsuits, even without inflicting any obvious damage.

The New York Times

"It's still a completely open question where it came from," said Dr. Rizzo, noting that it may be very hard to track down since, in its area of origin, the species might be causing little obvious damage.

The New York Times - Science

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "obvious damage" to emphasize that the damage is easily noticeable without close inspection, saving the reader from needing further clarification.

Common error

Avoid using "obvious damage" as a catch-all term. If the damage is truly obvious, briefly describe it to provide more impactful information to the reader.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "obvious damage" functions as a noun phrase where the adjective "obvious" modifies the noun "damage". It identifies damage that is easily noticeable or apparent. Ludwig confirms that the phrase is grammatically correct and commonly used.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

34%

News & Media

32%

Wiki

6%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "obvious damage" is a grammatically correct and commonly used phrase, as confirmed by Ludwig, for describing damage that is easily noticeable. It functions as a noun phrase and appears frequently in science and news contexts. When using the phrase, aim for specificity by describing the actual visible signs of damage. Related phrases include "visible harm", "clear destruction", and "apparent impairment".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

readily apparent damage

Adds emphasis on the easiness of seeing the damage.

easily observed damage

Focuses on the act of observation, highlighting that the damage is not difficult to spot.

visible harm

Changes the focus from damage to harm, implying a broader negative impact that is easily seen.

patent damage

Replaces "obvious" with "patent", suggesting damage that is open to public view and easily recognized.

clear destruction

Replaces "damage" with "destruction" to emphasize the extent of ruin, and "obvious" with "clear" retaining the original meaning.

unmistakable breakage

Replaces damage with breakage, to highlight visible ruin, and unmistakable suggesting there is no possibility of being misunderstood.

apparent impairment

Substitutes "damage" with "impairment", suggesting a reduction in function or quality that is readily noticeable.

evident defacement

Changes the term to "defacement", suggesting damage that mars or spoils the appearance of something, and uses "evident" for clarity.

noticeable deterioration

Shifts from acute damage to a gradual decline, emphasizing the visible signs of worsening condition.

plain spoilage

Shifts from damage to spoilage, which indicates that food or other perishable goods has gone bad.

FAQs

What are some synonyms for "obvious damage"?

Alternatives include "visible harm", "clear destruction", or "apparent impairment", depending on the context.

How can I use "obvious damage" in a sentence?

You might say, "The car sustained "obvious damage" in the accident" or "There was no "obvious damage" to the building after the storm."

What does it mean when something has "obvious damage"?

It means the damage is easily noticeable and doesn't require close inspection to be seen. The damage is apparent to anyone.

Is it better to say "apparent damage" or "obvious damage"?

"Apparent damage" and "obvious damage" are very similar. The best choice depends on the specific context, though they are often interchangeable.