Damped harmonic motion refers to the oscillatory movement of an object that gradually loses energy over time due to external forces, such as friction or air resistance. This results in a decrease in the amplitude of the oscillations, causing the motion to slow down until it eventually comes to a stop. In this type of motion, the restoring force is proportional to the displacement, similar to simple harmonic motion, but the presence of damping alters the behavior. Common examples include a swinging pendulum that slows down or a mass on a spring that loses energy over time due to friction or air resistance.