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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Research has found that building roads can fragment habitats, disrupt ecosystems, and increase erosion and sediment pollution in drinking water, among other potentially harmful outcomes.—
Hayley Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
24 June 2025
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This kind of leadership without empathy is not only unsustainable but actively harmful to morale and performance.—
Jody Michael,
Forbes.com,
23 June 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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What is a totalitarian leader other than an individualist taking that creed to its cruel conclusions, erasing the uniqueness of every other person into mere characters in a drama?—
Ed Simon
June 23,
Literary Hub,
23 June 2025
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That first leg ended 1-0 — a slim aggregate lead — and in the second leg back on Kiwi soil, the Australians won 2-0 with one of their goals a cruel deflection.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
New York Times,
21 June 2025
Adjective
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The primary risks for the Midwest will be damaging winds, hail, flash flooding and the possibility of tornadoes.—
Daniel Manzo,
ABC News,
23 June 2025
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The National Weather Service issued a moderate risk alert for severe thunderstorms across parts of North Dakota and Minnesota, warning that conditions could lead to tornadoes, damaging winds, and large hail throughout Friday evening and overnight.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 June 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 3 Jul. 2025.
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