damaged goods



damaged goods

1. Literally, products that have become inferior or unsellable as the result of being damaged or impaired in some way. They sold me damaged goods and wouldn't refund my money when I went to return them!
2. A person who is seen as emotionally or psychologically unstable as the result of some traumatic experience. (Possibly derogatory.) Growing up with abusive parents has left me as damaged goods.
3. A person whose reputation has been damaged, corrupted, or tarnished. The young CEO became damaged goods after news of his insider trading spread—now he can't even get a job flipping burgers.
4. dated, derogatory A woman who is considered unmarriageable or otherwise inferior due to having engaged in sexual intercourse before or outside of marriage. I once thought that she was the fairest, purest woman in town, but now that I know she had illicit relations with another man, she is nothing but damaged goods to me.
See also: damage, good

damaged goods

A person, especially an unmarried woman who is no longer a virgin, as in A person who has sex before marriage is not considered damaged goods in this day and age . This pejorative expression transfers the reduced value of materials (stock, provisions, etc.) marred in some way to women who have had a sexual experience. [Early 1900s]
See also: damage, good

Common Names:

NameGenderPronouncedUsage
Odila-Ancient Germanic
MeinardMIE-nahrtGerman
Lucienneluy-SYENFrench
Ratan-Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali
Donaldinadah-nawl-DEE-naScottish
Prakash-Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Gujarati, Bengali, Odia, Nepali