hurtful

adjective

hurt·​ful ˈhərt-fəl 

: causing injury, detriment, or suffering : damaging

hurtfully

ˈhərt-fə-lē 

adverb

hurtfulness noun

Synonyms of hurtful

• harmful
• detrimental
• damaging
• dangerous
• adverse

Examples of hurtful in a Sentence

She can't forgive him for the hurtful things he said.

Their comments were really hurtful to me.

Recent Examples on the Web

Know when to hold your tongue Sometimes telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth is unnecessarily hurtful. — Margaret Renkl, Parents, 23 July 2026

This doesn’t make everything OK, but what’s coming across as rude and hurtful to you may not be intentional exclusion. — R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 17 July 2026

To have people tearing her down and making hurtful and untrue claims is bad enough but to drag her children into it is just beyond the pale. — Stylecaster Editors, StyleCaster, 14 July 2026

This was extremely hurtful to me. — Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 20 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1526, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

hurtful

adjective

hurt·​ful ˈhərt-fəl 

: causing injury or suffering : damaging

hurtfully

-fə-lē 

adverb

hurtfulness noun