the extent of the damage

The "extent" of something means how much, how far, how bad, etc.

English speakers often use this word in the phrase "the extent of the damage". After some kind of accident or disaster, you have to check the extent of the damage, which means how badly things are broken and messed up. For example, a car mechanic can check the extent of the damage to your vehicle after a car crash.

This phrase appears in these lessons: