injure

verb

in·​jure ˈin-jər 

injured; injuring ˈin-j(ə-)riŋ 

transitive verb

1

a

: to inflict bodily hurt on

b

: to impair the soundness of

injured her health

c

: to inflict material damage or loss on

2

a

: to harm, impair, or tarnish the standing of

injured his reputation

b

: to give pain to

injure a person's pride

c

: to do an injustice to : wrong

injurer

ˈin-jər-ər 

noun

Synonyms

• damage
• harm
• hurt
• wound

Choose the Right Synonym for injure

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 injure in a Sentence

She fell and injured herself.

She fell and slightly injured her arm.

Several people were badly injured in the accident.

Recent Examples on the Web

These fatal crashes killed 14 people and injured 49, according to data collected and published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the federal road-safety regulator in the US. —Aarian Marshall, WIRED, 26 Apr. 2024

Matt Myers, a Clinton Township firefighter, was also injured when debris came through the windshield of a vehicle and glass clipped the side of his face, township officials previously said. —Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 26 Apr. 2024

Renner returned to set one year after he was critically injured after being run over by a 14,300-pound snowcat at his home in Reno, Nevada. —James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Apr. 2024

Despite making national headlines for a mass shooting in 2023 — an ex-police officer shot and killed three people and injured six — Cook’s Corner is best known as the oldest-running dining establishment in Orange County. —Brock Keeling, Orange County Register, 25 Apr. 2024

Everyone in the vehicle was injured, and 9-year-old Danna Hernandez Tapia, a resident of Tualatin, Ore., was killed. —Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2024

The research, conducted between June 2018 and November 2022, examined former and active U.S. officials injured in mysterious incidents around the world associated with a cluster of symptoms known as Havana Syndrome. —Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2024

Since 2022, the city of Waukesha, along with the Waukesha County Community Foundation as fundraising manager, has orchestrated efforts to honor those impacted by the 2021 parade attack, when Darrell Brooks Jr. drove his SUV through the crowd, killing six and injuring more than 60 others. —Jim Riccioli, Journal Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2024

Jacob Fuerte, 22, was fatally injured shortly after 5 a.m. near Vineland Avenue. —Caroline Petrow-Cohen, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English enjuren, from Anglo-French *enjurer, from Late Latin injuriare, from Latin injuria injury

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2c

Kids Definition

injure

verb

in·​jure ˈin-jər 

injured; injuring ˈinj-(ə-)riŋ 

1

: to do an injustice to : wrong

2

: to cause pain or harm to

injured her arm

injured his pride

3

: to cause to suffer damage or loss

a tax that injured business

houses injured by the storm

Medical Definition

injure

transitive verb

in·​jure ˈin-jər 

injured; injuring ˈinj-(ə-)riŋ 

1

: to inflict bodily hurt on

2

: to impair the soundness of

injure your health

Legal Definition

injure

1 of 2 transitive verb

in·​jure

injured; injuring

1

: to interfere with or violate the legally protected interests of: as

a

: to harm the physical, emotional, or mental well-being of

b

: to cause (another) to suffer from damage to, deprivation of, or interference with property or a property interest

c

: to violate the constitutionally or otherwise legally protected rights of

2

: to mar or impair the soundness or appearance of (as a building) : deface

in jure

2 of 2 adverb

in ju·​re

in-ˈju̇r-ē, -ˈyü-rā

: in right, law, or justice

Etymology

Latin