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
These comments though likely not intended to be hurtful, can still impact you deeply.
—
Justin Gest, Newsweek, 20 Jan. 2025
Heather went on to point out all the hurtful things the women have said about one another.
—Liza Esquibias, People.com, 16 Jan. 2025
While the internet rallied around the actor following the negative outpouring, the hurtful comments did what they were intended to do: try and shame Sydney Sweeney.
—Callum Booth, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
No one called me, which was so strange, and that was hurtful.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 10 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for hurtful 
Justin Gest, Newsweek, 20 Jan. 2025
Heather went on to point out all the hurtful things the women have said about one another.
—Liza Esquibias, People.com, 16 Jan. 2025
While the internet rallied around the actor following the negative outpouring, the hurtful comments did what they were intended to do: try and shame Sydney Sweeney.
—Callum Booth, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
No one called me, which was so strange, and that was hurtful.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 10 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for hurtful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hurtful
Adjective
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Wear sunglasses that block 100% of UVA and UVB rays to protect your eyes from harmful UV exposure, even on cloudy days.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
31 Jan. 2025
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Avocado oil reduces unstable harmful molecules (free radicals) in rodent brains and increases the presence of antioxidant molecules.1 6.—
Amy Brownstein, MS, RDN,
Verywell Health,
31 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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In December 2019, Ljungberg was interim manager for a game against City that was bitterly painful for Arsenal.—
Amy Lawrence,
The Athletic,
3 Feb. 2025
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Expensive avocados, just in time for the Super Bowl For American consumers still exasperated by high grocery prices, a trade war with Canada and Mexico could be painful.—
Paul Wiseman,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Tariffs are particularly detrimental to industries with complex supply chains, where goods cross the border multiple times as firms seek to turn inputs into final goods.—
Chloe Taylor,
CNBC,
5 Feb. 2025
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The bench has struggled at times which could be detrimental come playoff but.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
4 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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But his cruel divisiveness is deflecting attention from the main event.—
Robert B. Reich,
Hartford Courant,
29 Jan. 2025
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Banek has requested the Illinois Department of Public Health probe the cruel death, also asking that all evidence associated with the case be preserved.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The narrative truly flipped on Jan. 13, with the S & P 500 logging a noticeable positive reversal after the prior week’s damaging bearish engulfing pattern.—
Frank Cappelleri,
CNBC,
29 Jan. 2025
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The tower came crashing down across South Osage Street, damaging power cables and falling just short of a home.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
29 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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That question is particularly pointed in the case of the U. of C. Will its promotion of freedom of expression and inquiry prove in the end to have been a marketing strategy that can be discarded in the face of harsh political realities?—
Jamie Kalven,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Feb. 2025
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These durable, lidded resin containers are designed to keep items dry and safe from harsh winter weather.—
Jené Luciani Sena,
Fox News,
1 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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This feeds into Newcastle’s 2-0 advantage which, as another cliche tells us, is the most dangerous lead in football.—
George Caulkin,
The Athletic,
5 Feb. 2025
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This amount can weigh down trees and power lines — causing power outages — and make travel dangerous to borderline impossible.—
Mary Gilbert,
CNN,
5 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The unions argue that the offer fails to consider possible adverse consequences to the government's ability to function; sets an arbitrarily short deadline; and is pretext for removing and replacing workers on an ideological basis, among other things.—
Andrea Hsu,
NPR,
6 Feb. 2025
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The study said adverse side effects and cost were the most common reasons patients stopped the drugs that were documented in clinical notes.—
Annika Kim Constantino,Ashley Capoot,
CNBC,
4 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near hurtful
Cite this Entry
“Hurtful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hurtful. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.
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