1
as in harmful
causing or capable of causing harm
the most hurtful thing you can do to this silk dress is put it in the dryer
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in painful
hard to accept or bear especially emotionally
her ex-husband said hurtful things that she could never forgive
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hurtful
That can include jokes about the comedians’ marriages—the kind of ragging that most people probably wouldn’t accept from their spouse in public, and that can be hurtful or sexist in the wrong context.
—
Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2025
Beyond weaponizing the Bible to attack the trans community, there’s another hurtful trend related to the anti-trans crusade: Right-wing forces are attempting to imbue their twisted version of Christianity into all layers of public life without any regard for different religious perspectives.
—Rev. Dr. Serene Jones, TIME, 17 Mar. 2025
This mental filter encourages kindness and discourages dismissive or hurtful reactions.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 30 Mar. 2025
The Patriots would be much less likely to prioritize offense with the fourth pick in the draft and would make missing out on Travis Hunter less hurtful.
—Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hurtful
Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2025
Beyond weaponizing the Bible to attack the trans community, there’s another hurtful trend related to the anti-trans crusade: Right-wing forces are attempting to imbue their twisted version of Christianity into all layers of public life without any regard for different religious perspectives.
—Rev. Dr. Serene Jones, TIME, 17 Mar. 2025
This mental filter encourages kindness and discourages dismissive or hurtful reactions.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 30 Mar. 2025
The Patriots would be much less likely to prioritize offense with the fourth pick in the draft and would make missing out on Travis Hunter less hurtful.
—Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hurtful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hurtful
Adjective
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Along the way, it is divulged that Saw has not been protecting himself with a gas mask from the harmful rhydonium fumes.—
Dalton Ross,
EW.com,
2 May 2025
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These are among the many casualties of the Trump administration's decision to level a research agency that has devoted much of its energy over the past five decades to reducing people's exposure to harmful chemicals and other dangerous conditions in the workplace.—
Will Stone,
NPR,
2 May 2025
Adjective
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Like many things in life, trying to fix something later is much more painful.—
Kevin Campbell,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2025
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Lotions in particular remove hair from the root, are less painful than wax strips, and are much cheaper than laser hair removal and electrolysis.—
Danielle Jackson,
Glamour,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Focusing too much on weight rather than taking a more holistic approach can be detrimental to the care of all patients.—
Hannah Yasharoff,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2025
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Expecting perfection, or guarding against our own humanity coming through, is also detrimental to our ability to be present for the good parts of the date.—
Myisha Battle,
Time,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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This dynamic has created a cruel catch-22 which forces an impossible choice: register and risk immediate deportation, or refuse and become criminalized for noncompliance, destroying any path to legal status.—
Kica Matos,
Time,
2 May 2025
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Milano’s extensive medical history sometimes feels too cruel to detail; his only full season came as a rookie in 2017.—
Tim Graham,
New York Times,
2 May 2025
Adjective
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States in the Mid-Mississippi, Ohio and Tennessee valleys, stretching all the way into parts of Pennsylvania and western New York, could see thunderstorms, damaging winds, hail and a possible isolated tornado, the weather service said.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
2 May 2025
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The trade put an end to a damaging few weeks for the team-player relationship between the Heat and Butler.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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So, designing the model's apparent personality to be positive and supportive makes sense—people are less likely to use an AI that comes off as harsh or dismissive.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
29 Apr. 2025
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Vietnamese refugees who got a warm welcome from America puzzle at family separations, harsh rhetoric In Vietnam, Lam had owned three companies.—
Anh Do,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Harvard-Westlake, last year’s Division 1 runner-up, is still dangerous with sophomore pitcher Justin Kirchner (7-0) and junior center fielder James Tronstein.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2025
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The dangerous flash flooding is forecast to be worst in Dallas, southeastern Oklahoma and eastern Arkansas.—
Kenton Gewecke,
ABC News,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The result is potential adverse effects on the health, cognition, and well-being of older users and missed opportunities for support.—
Diana Spehar,
Forbes.com,
1 May 2025
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Sometimes this can be dangerous and cause serious adverse effects.—
Jamie Johnson,
Verywell Health,
1 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hurtful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hurtful. Accessed 13 May. 2025.
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