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

Finally, while frustrated by his years of struggle and especially the hurtful impact that this impasse has had on the lives of millions of Dreamers, Durbin projects confidence that this cause will prevail. — John T. Shaw, Chicago Tribune, 1 Nov. 2026

There has never been any conflict or circumstance that would initiate such a hurtful and shocking decision. — R. Eric Thomas, Denver Post, 10 Oct. 2026

Just the thought of my sister enduring such a brutal attack is just deeply hurtful to me and to the rest of my family. — Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2026

Indeed, in her devotion to sparkle, Pechman declines to probe too deeply into any of the industry’s more hurtful or exploitative dimensions. — Natalia Winkelman, Variety, 20 Sep. 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