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harm

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word harm distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of harm are damage, hurt, impair, injure, and mar. While all these words mean "to affect injuriously," harm often stresses the inflicting of pain, suffering, or loss.

careful not to harm the animals

When might damage be a better fit than harm?

While the synonyms damage and harm are close in meaning, damage suggests injury that lowers value or impairs usefulness.

a table damaged in shipping

When is it sensible to use hurt instead of harm?

The words hurt and harm are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, hurt implies inflicting a wound to the body or to the feelings.

hurt by their callous remarks

When would impair be a good substitute for harm?

The meanings of impair and harm largely overlap; however, impair suggests a making less complete or efficient by deterioration or diminution.

years of smoking had impaired his health

In what contexts can injure take the place of harm?

The words injure and harm can be used in similar contexts, but injure implies the inflicting of anything detrimental to one's looks, comfort, health, or success.

badly injured in an accident

When can mar be used instead of harm?

While in some cases nearly identical to harm, mar applies to injury that spoils perfection (as of a surface) or causes disfigurement.

the text is marred by many typos

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of harm
Noun
Preventing harm to children is a goal with which most people would agree. Jeannie Suk Gersen, New Yorker, 20 June 2025 How effective are the measures, especially in the places the bags do the greatest harm—along the coasts? Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 19 June 2025
Verb
Below the surface hide tentacles that can stretch up to 100 feet, filled with venom, trapping and paralyzing small fish, and occasionally harming humans. Jenny Lehmann, Discover Magazine, 20 June 2025 American Pilots Are Backing Israel’s Drone Defense, Netanyahu Says New Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 Upgrade Now Makes Sense The turn towards high-deductible health plans has harmed Americans financially and medically. Peter Ubel, Forbes.com, 19 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for harm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harm
Noun
  • Businesses have learned that an unsupervised agent’s mistake can lead to serious harm, reputational damage or compliance violations.
    Ronen Cojocaru, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
  • The Supreme Court on Friday upheld a law allowing Americans injured by acts of terror in the Middle East to take Palestinian leadership groups to U.S. courts for damages.
    Ella Lee, The Hill, 20 June 2025
Verb
  • The conflict entered its seventh day on Thursday, with Iran launching a strike that hit a major hospital in Israel, injuring at least 240 people and causing extensive damage.
    Sonam Sheth, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 June 2025
  • The plane broke apart, killing all six people onboard and injuring eight people on the ground.
    Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 19 June 2025
Verb
  • They were marred by injuries throughout the season, having entered the season with somewhat high expectations.
    Ricardo Klein, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 June 2025
  • Sunday night’s game was marred by an injury sustained by the Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton, who early in the first quarter went down with what would prove to be a torn Achilles tendon.
    Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 23 June 2025
Noun
  • The injury happened with 4:55 left in the first quarter.
    Tim Reynolds, Chicago Tribune, 23 June 2025
  • All that bumping and bruising puts her at a higher risk of injury and exhaustion.
    Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 22 June 2025
Verb
  • This would hurt even the most polished comedy or the most clockwork heist movie, let alone one that hopes to be both.
    Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 26 June 2025
  • One of our stunt guys broke a finger or hurt himself on a spinout.
    Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 25 June 2025
Verb
  • Mortally wounded, Campbell sped off to the nearby corner of Givan and Palmer Aves.
    Sheetal Banchariya, New York Daily News, 17 June 2025
  • Meanwhile, at least 24 people have been killed in Israel, and more than 500 wounded.
    Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Harm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harm. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

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