It’s not just broken… it’s cracked, chipped, scratched, or smashed!
In English, we have tons of specific words to describe different kinds of damage—and using the right one makes your speech more accurate and natural.
In this video, you’ll learn 20 useful vocabulary words to talk about problems, defects, and damage. So let’s fix up your vocabulary—starting now!
Make sure to download the lesson PDF, so you can review and remember today’s vocabulary words.
We’ll start with physical damage to objects & surfaces:
If something is scratched, it has lines of surface damage caused by something sharp.
When something is cracked it’s split or broken without completely coming apart.
Something is chipped when there’s small piece missing.
But something that is smashed is completely broken into pieces.
Something dented is pushed in, usually from an impact. This typically happens to metal, like a car or an appliance like a fridge or stove.
Something bent is no longer straight or flat.
If a car is totaled, it means it is damaged so greatly that the cost to repair it is too high.
Now let’s look at damage to fabric or paper:
Something that is ripped or torn has been pulled apart.
Fabric that is frayed is worn out, with threads coming loose.
Fabric that is stained is marked with a color or substance that won’t easily come off.
Sometimes your clothes get wrinkled – that means folded with little lines – but we can easily fix that by ironing them
If paper is crumpled it is crushed into a messy shape.
Here are some problems caused by heat/water/other issues:
Something that’s burnt is damaged by fire or heat.
Something that’s soaked is completely wet.
Food that is spoiled has gone bad so it’s no longer safe to eat.
Metal can be rusty, meaning it turns red/brown and becomes weaker
If something is faded, it has lost color or brightness.
If paint or skin is peeling, it means the outer layer is coming off.
And something is leaking when liquid or gas is escaping.
Finally, we can say a machine is out of order when it is not functioning.
Now you know how to describe problems and damage more accurately in English!
Go ahead and download the lesson PDF so you can save it and review these words again later.
By the way, 1000 more words are waiting for you inside my Vocabulary Builder Courses!
