hurt

1 of 2

verb

hurt; hurting

transitive verb

1
a
: to inflict with physical pain : wound
He hurt his back while moving some boxes.
was seriously hurt in a car accident
You're hurting my arm!
b
: to do substantial or material harm to : damage
the dry summer has hurt the land
2
a
: to cause emotional pain or anguish to : offend
never meant to hurt you
got her feelings hurt
b
: to be detrimental to : hamper
charges of graft hurt his chances of being elected

intransitive verb

1
a
: to suffer pain or grief
He says his tooth hurts.
has been hurting ever since learning of her friend's betrayal
b
: to be in need
usually used with for
hurting for money
2
: to cause damage or distress
hit where it hurts
hurt adjective
hurter noun

hurt

2 of 2

noun

1
: a cause of injury or damage : blow
this tower of granite, weathering the hurts of so many agesR. W. Emerson
2
a
: a bodily injury or wound
b
: mental or emotional distress or anguish : suffering
getting past the hurt of a bitter divorce
3
: wrong, harm
subordinating cosmic to moral considerations, to the hurt of bothM. R. Cohen
Choose the Right Synonym for hurt

injure, harm, hurt, damage, impair, mar mean to affect injuriously.

injure implies the inflicting of anything detrimental to one's looks, comfort, health, or success.

badly injured in an accident

harm often stresses the inflicting of pain, suffering, or loss.

careful not to harm the animals

hurt implies inflicting a wound to the body or to the feelings.

hurt by their callous remarks

damage suggests injury that lowers value or impairs usefulness.

a table damaged in shipping

impair suggests a making less complete or efficient by deterioration or diminution.

years of smoking had impaired his health

mar applies to injury that spoils perfection (as of a surface) or causes disfigurement.

the text is marred by many typos

Examples of hurt in a Sentence

Verb Be careful with that knife or you could hurt yourself. Ouch! You're hurting my arm! She was badly hurt in a car accident. My tooth still hurts me. When I woke up this morning I hurt all over. Their lack of interest in her work hurt her deeply. You're only hurting yourself by holding a grudge against them. It hurt me to see her go. The lack of rain has hurt the corn crop. If we lose this game it will seriously hurt our chances of making the play-offs. Noun Her sympathy eased the hurt he felt after his dog's death. They felt a great hurt after their bitter divorce. She tried to put past hurts behind her.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Bay Street’s stretch of restaurants, cafes (like Lowcountry Produce Kitchen, pictured above), and boutiques doesn’t hurt its charm, either. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2024 Barnett’s mother was with him and pleaded with the suspects not to hurt her son, who had recently gotten out of the hospital, a family member told WFAA. Nicole Lopez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Mar. 2024 Margarita’s poise, her calm demeanor in dealing with someone who clearly hurt her, and her even more apparent growth from dealing with the pain life has thrown at her, were just plain inspiring. Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 6 Mar. 2024 Your son apparently struggles with opting out, perhaps not wanting to hurt your feelings — so switch it. Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 The beauty chain’s performance is a contrast from the peak pandemic years when low foot traffic in Sephora’s retail locations hurt its revenue and profitability (bear in mind, that’s when luxury demand boomed). Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 5 Mar. 2024 The financial industry slammed the CFPB, warning the new regulation will hurt consumers by causing more people to pay late, damaging their credit scores. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2024 Chidsey noted to these franchisees that outdated restaurants hurt the brand as a whole. Angela L. Pagán, Quartz, 4 Mar. 2024 Might this hurt Republican efforts to turn out people at the polls this fall? USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2024
Noun
Prince Harry and Prince William's lack of interaction during the Duke of Sussex’s recent trip to the U.K. to see King Charles amid the news of his cancer diagnosis highlights the hurt between the brothers. Simon Perry, Peoplemag, 7 Mar. 2024 However, after years of hurt and ridicule from opposition fans, Leverkusen’s fortunes might have finally turned, and the club’s renaissance has a lot to do with one man. Ben Morse, CNN, 4 Mar. 2024 The amount could get even bigger with interest, and even appealing as Trump will do, may not stop the financial hurt of paying or bonding in the meantime. Robert W. Wood, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 Murphy fleshes him out with loaded silences and pained gestures, his pale, expressive eyes conveying a world of hurt, of trauma yanked back to the surface by startling experience. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Feb. 2024 The Lions and her nephew are poised for even greater things next year, but that doesn't take away the hurt of Sunday night. Dave Boucher, Detroit Free Press, 30 Jan. 2024 In fact, the hurt and anger between the two brothers — one, the Prince of Wales and future king and the other, the Duke of Sussex and Californian — has now hardened into something colder and more immovable, said Scobie: indifference. Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 6 Feb. 2024 The spiral of hurt and rejection comes from everyone involved in the estrangement, so be prepared for a possible reconciliation to be a long, up-and-down process. Meghan Leahy, Washington Post, 31 Jan. 2024 Also, team captain Anze Kopitar is playing hurt, as evidenced by the decline of his faceoff skills and usual pinpoint passing. Helene Elliott, Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hurt.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English, probably from Anglo-French hurter to strike, prick, collide with, probably of Germanic origin; akin to Old Norse hrūtr male sheep

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hurt was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near hurt

Cite this Entry

“Hurt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hurt. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

hurt

1 of 2 verb
hurt; hurting
1
a
: to cause physical pain to
b
: to do harm to : damage
2
a
: to cause mental suffering to : offend
the teasing hurts me
b
: hamper entry 1
injuries hurt our chances of winning
3
: to feel or cause pain
my tooth hurts
hurter noun

hurt

2 of 2 noun
1
: a cause of injury or damage
2
: a physical injury or wound
3
a
: physical pain
b
: mental distress : suffering
4

More from Merriam-Webster on hurt

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