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hurt

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adjective

hurt

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word hurt distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of hurt are damage, harm, impair, injure, and mar. While all these words mean "to affect injuriously," hurt implies inflicting a wound to the body or to the feelings.

hurt by their callous remarks

When can damage be used instead of hurt?

Although the words damage and hurt have much in common, damage suggests injury that lowers value or impairs usefulness.

a table damaged in shipping

When might harm be a better fit than hurt?

The words harm and hurt can be used in similar contexts, but harm often stresses the inflicting of pain, suffering, or loss.

careful not to harm the animals

When could impair be used to replace hurt?

The words impair and hurt are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, impair suggests a making less complete or efficient by deterioration or diminution.

years of smoking had impaired his health

When would injure be a good substitute for hurt?

While in some cases nearly identical to hurt, injure implies the inflicting of anything detrimental to one's looks, comfort, health, or success.

badly injured in an accident

When is mar a more appropriate choice than hurt?

While the synonyms mar and hurt are close in meaning, 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 hurt
Verb
Domínguez was the first to get hurt, as the left fielder exited with a left thumb contusion shortly after stealing a base in the fifth inning. Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 1 June 2025 Although flippant, LuPone’s words only serve to hurt everyone during a turbulent time for the arts in America, the open letter from the theater community said. Lisa Boone, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2025
Noun
Hinrichs admitted that difficult weather hurt business in the beginning of the year, and CSX is still feeling the effects of hurricane Helene. Julie Coleman, CNBC, 21 May 2025 Playing Hurt: Leading Despite Imperfection Finally, from the world of sports psychology comes playing hurt. Francois Botha, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for hurt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hurt
Verb
  • No story better exemplifies that ethos than that of the teenage fake bride turned kidnapper who aches for her mother.
    Carole V. Bell, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2025
  • Although Mel is his ex and she’s moved on with a handsome, charming and super-wealthy NBA star Nick (Mark Tallman), her heart still aches for Coop, which seems to annoy her to no end.
    Rosemary Rossi, Variety, 31 May 2025
Verb
  • Driving through deep water can also damage a vehicle's mechanical and electrical systems.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 9 June 2025
  • Her older brother, a successful economist, and her sister, a government lawyer, have repeatedly warned her that her outspokenness could damage not only her career but theirs.
    Eyal Press, New Yorker, 9 June 2025
Verb
  • Federal officials said one immigration agent was injured when a rock shattered his vehicle’s windshield, and the U.S. Marshals Service reported arrests for obstructing operations, according to the Times.
    Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 8 June 2025
  • Russia also targeted the western Lviv and Khmelnytskyi regions, the northern Chernihiv region, and the central Poltava region, where at least three people were injured.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 June 2025
Verb
  • The achievement of Alcock and Brown came just months after the end of the First World War, at a moment when too many families were grieving the loss of an airman brother, father, or son.
    David Rooney June 5, Literary Hub, 5 June 2025
  • Logue will play Holt Keane, a father grieving the loss of his family.
    Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 4 June 2025
Noun
  • The report highlights research on young adults that shows that trans students who participate in collegiate sports are less likely to experience distress, self-harm and suicidal thoughts.
    Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 6 June 2025
  • That places an onerous burden on Henson, doing her considerable best trying to sustain a role whose Job-like travails crank the distress level to 11 too soon.
    Dennis Harvey, Variety, 6 June 2025
Noun
  • Critics, however, argue that Sundays are a day of recreation by many non-hunters who would be disturbed — or potentially put in harms way — if hunters were allowed to shoot on Sundays.
    John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 6 June 2025
  • The unions argued that their members' harm builds every day that DOGE has access to sensitive, personally identifiable information at the Social Security Administration, and said Americans' right to privacy is at stake.
    Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 6 June 2025
Verb
  • The years of separation have pained the activists and their relatives.
    Kanis Leung, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2025
  • The ongoing search for Grant Hardin, 56, has sparked urgent warnings from local law enforcement, put residents of a small northwest Arkansas town on edge and reignited feelings of hurt and pain that the family of one victim had tried to bury.
    Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 28 May 2025
Verb
  • However, relatively decent growth fueled by Putin's record military spending has been marred by inflation and a worker shortage impacted by those fleeing the draft and troop losses in Ukraine as experts warn of longer terms problems for the economy.
    Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 May 2025
  • Lynch’s first winter as CEO was marred by long lift lines and employee shortages driven by COVID-19.
    Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 27 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Hurt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hurt. Accessed 14 Jun. 2025.

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