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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hurtful
Constance remembered her sister reminding her once that boys did a lot of hurtful things just from a lack of thought.
—
Jim Shepard, New Yorker, 8 June 2025
This defensiveness can feel confusing and hurtful to your partner.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
This article features language that may be hurtful to readers.
—Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 31 May 2025
Fed up with the negativity, Hunter took to a Twitch stream to openly express his frustration and share how deeply the hurtful remarks have affected him.
—Ricardo Klein, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for hurtful
Jim Shepard, New Yorker, 8 June 2025
This defensiveness can feel confusing and hurtful to your partner.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
This article features language that may be hurtful to readers.
—Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 31 May 2025
Fed up with the negativity, Hunter took to a Twitch stream to openly express his frustration and share how deeply the hurtful remarks have affected him.
—Ricardo Klein, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for hurtful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hurtful
Adjective
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One of the most common and harmful examples is the Social Security Administration phishing scam, which targets unsuspecting individuals with alarming and deceptive messages.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
6 July 2025
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But there have been some signs that bacteria could be capable of overcoming some of the harmful effects of forever chemicals.—
Sam Walters,
Discover Magazine,
3 July 2025
Adjective
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Once Schaefer’s emotional moment was done, the rest of the conversations ranged from mildly awkward to borderline painful.—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
28 June 2025
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Their venom, similar to a bee’s or wasp’s, results in a painful, itchy pustule or blister on the skin.—
Gareth McGrath,
USA Today,
28 June 2025
Adjective
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This is especially detrimental because personal health doesn’t send urgent alerts the way business metrics do.—
Julian Hayes II,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2025
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Along with cannabis, alcohol consumption and smoking can be detrimental to fertility.—
Doc Louallen,
ABC News,
27 June 2025
Adjective
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Politics remains a cruel business and the governor has been on the frontline of it for nearly 20 years, winning and losing.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
5 July 2025
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They were joined by actors playing the contestants, who lurched along wearing expressions of exaggerated horror, as though the cruel stakes of the game had just been revealed to them.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
4 July 2025
Adjective
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Texas and the Upper Midwest could continue to see strong to severe thunderstorms with damaging winds and hail through the weekend.—
Taylor Ward,
CNN Money,
4 July 2025
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Be prepared for damaging winds, lightning and possibly large hail.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 July 2025
Adjective
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Come spring, the Ranger III carries everything from outhouses and diesel fuel for the generators to construction supplies to repair whatever damage Mother Nature did to facilities over the harsh winter.—
Diana Lambdin Meyer,
USA Today,
28 June 2025
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The United States and Europe must finally sever all economic ties with Russia (e.g., nuclear partnerships) and impose harsher sanctions on Russia and secondary sanctions so that China and others face consequences for their support of the war.—
Laura Thornton,
Twin Cities,
27 June 2025
Adjective
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And the Santa Barbara temblor revealed just how dangerous brick buildings built in that era could be.—
Rong-Gong Lin II,
Los Angeles Times,
29 June 2025
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After landing, the most dangerous times, statistically speaking, are takeoff, approach, and initial climb.—
Katie Jackson,
Travel + Leisure,
29 June 2025
Adjective
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The other four are: Columbus, New Mexico, on July 14 Santa Teresa, New Mexico, on July 21 Del Rio, Texas, on August 18 Laredo, Texas, on September 15 Each reopening will be evaluated for adverse effects before proceeding to the next phase.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 July 2025
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Then, notify the FDA MedWatch adverse event program.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
30 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hurtful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hurtful. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.
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