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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of hurtful
Rather than accepting her refusal, the fan followed her and made hurtful comments while continuing to film.
—
Andrew Ravens, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Ledford refuted that claim as hurtful and untrue in a 2021 Washington Post interview.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 26 Mar. 2026
This is just ridiculous, criminal and hurtful.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Mar. 2026
Never allow your child to be rude or say hurtful things to you or anyone else.
—Barrie Gillies, Parents, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hurtful
Andrew Ravens, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Ledford refuted that claim as hurtful and untrue in a 2021 Washington Post interview.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 26 Mar. 2026
This is just ridiculous, criminal and hurtful.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Mar. 2026
Never allow your child to be rude or say hurtful things to you or anyone else.
—Barrie Gillies, Parents, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hurtful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hurtful
Adjective
-
Regulation remains uneven, education is inconsistent, and the line between a manageable high and a harmful one isn’t always clear, especially for younger or inexperienced users.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The rollbacks included minimum wage requirements for home healthcare workers and people with disabilities, and rules governing exposure to harmful substances and safety procedures at mines.—
Seung Min Kim,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Think about caring for an ill mate, losing income because of having to give up your job, having difficulty paying your bills and suffering from painful arthritis while serving as the unpaid caregiver.—
Helen Dennis,
Daily News,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Jan Garrod said the cost of farming and trucking with the skyrocketing cost of diesel is almost too painful to think about.—
Laura Ness,
Mercury News,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Though a breezy effortlessness around tasks might be appealing in the short term, the lack of friction can be detrimental in the long run.—
Theara Coleman,
TheWeek,
20 Apr. 2026
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Any action on either side to blockade this chain would prove detrimental to both naval and commercial traffic in the region.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Dahl’s books are fanciful and imaginative, but also dark, cynical, and mean (and, unfortunately, often reflected his real-life ugliness), spinning stories in which gruesome and unpleasant fates befell rotten kids, and adults were frequently selfish, cruel, and not to be trusted.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Violating that trust is both cruel and unlawful.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Widespread damaging wind gusts and flooding rainfall are still to come as storms hit areas already battered by a multi-day onslaught of twisters, massive hail and historic flooding.—
Briana Waxman,
CNN Money,
17 Apr. 2026
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The biggest threats are large hail and damaging winds, though a few tornadoes are also possible.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Even in the harshest descriptions of the violence and almost unbelievably cruel twists of fate that Yarris endured (the DNA testing keeps getting accidentally mucked up), Brody lends him a vital indomitable spark.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
16 Apr. 2026
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When the camera's weren't rolling, McCracken says, Couric gave some harsh advice.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Police on Friday closed Kensington Gardens, a central London park visited by thousands of tourists and local residents every day, after a group that Israel has linked to Iran posted a video claiming Israel’s nearby London embassy was going to be attacked with drones carrying dangerous substances.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 Apr. 2026
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Portage police added that while some students play the game safely using brightly colored water guns, others have created dangerous situations that can trigger panic.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The charity seeks the court’s intervention, protection, and restitution following a coordinated adverse media campaign conducted since 25 March 2025 that has caused operational disruption and reputational harm to the charity, its leadership, and its strategic partners.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
10 Apr. 2026
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Extend it to four seconds to ensure safe spacing in adverse conditions.—
Bay Area Weather Report,
Mercury News,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hurtful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hurtful. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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