damaged goods
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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! Aw man, the entire shipment is damaged goods due to that accident at the warehouse. Hey, these are damaged goods! There are tears all along the seams!
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. Plenty of soldiers come back from war feeling like they're damaged goods—you're not alone in that. It took years of therapy before I stopped feeling like I was 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. The product I invented was recalled for safety issues—of course I'm damaged goods! Everyone thinks our retirement fund manager stole from us, so yeah, he's damaged goods now.
4. dated A derogatory term for 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. If the other prominent families in town find out that Eliza's had relations with other men, she'll be damaged goods to them! I think that's a terribly antiquated notion, my dear. You're not damaged goods to me because you've had an intimate relationship with another man.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
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]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
damaged goods
a person who is regarded as inadequate or impaired in some way. informal 2001 Business Week Magazine Although Chirac looks like damaged goods, no other conservative has the stature to make a serious run for the presidency.
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