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
Carlton Collins, who confronted the demonstrators on Friday, said Lincoln Heights' history is what made Friday so hurtful.
—
David Ferrara, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
The reaction was swift and hurtful, with many critics accusing Pulisic of turning his back on his country.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2025
Dear Eric: Nearly eight months ago, my 81-year-old brother lashed out saying hateful and hurtful things about our youngest sister.
—R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2025
The rhetoric depicting immigrants as criminals has been hurtful to many community members, clergy members told the Journal Sentinel.
—Sophie Carson, jsonline.com, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for hurtful
David Ferrara, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
The reaction was swift and hurtful, with many critics accusing Pulisic of turning his back on his country.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2025
Dear Eric: Nearly eight months ago, my 81-year-old brother lashed out saying hateful and hurtful things about our youngest sister.
—R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2025
The rhetoric depicting immigrants as criminals has been hurtful to many community members, clergy members told the Journal Sentinel.
—Sophie Carson, jsonline.com, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for hurtful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hurtful
Adjective
-
Antisocial Anger Some teenagers express their anger through harmful behaviors such as threatening others, vandalism, skipping school or using drugs.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
16 July 2025
-
Independent testing confirms that the supplement contains the ingredients listed on the label and is free from harmful contaminants.—
Kirstyn Hill,
Health,
15 July 2025
Adjective
-
Some people will also get deeper nodules and cysts that are painful or tender to the touch.2 Ice can be very effective at alleviating pain and reducing inflammation.—
Sherri Gordon,
Health,
22 July 2025
-
The tents are overrun by mosquitoes and other large insects, subjecting people to frequent and painful insect bites.—
Steve Bousquet,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 July 2025
Adjective
-
The platform was recently accused by several state attorneys general of implementing addictive features across its family of apps that have detrimental effects on children’s mental health.—
Zach Vallese,
CNBC,
23 July 2025
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Water is a systemic need for plants of all types; however, too much water, whether supplied by rain or irrigation, is detrimental.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
20 July 2025
Adjective
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Each of us should demand our local leaders challenge every one of the immoral and cruel state laws and the Gestapo-like raids and inhumane detainments carried out by ICE agents.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 July 2025
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Even critics who considered his policies cruel and racist – and there were many – admitted that behind the bluster there was the charm of a true believer.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 July 2025
Adjective
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The Baltimore area is under a flood watch, as thunderstorms and damaging winds are possible Monday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
14 July 2025
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Stay away from windows as flying debris generated by damaging winds can be deadly.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
13 July 2025
Adjective
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Late-night talk shows across the board are facing the harsh reality that declines in ad revenue can’t make up for burgeoning production costs.—
Liam Reilly,
CNN Money,
22 July 2025
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The harsh reality is this: not all cell phone forensic extractions are created equal, and the most important evidence for trucking cases on the smartphone will be gone in days or weeks.—
Lars Daniel,
Forbes.com,
22 July 2025
Adjective
-
More dangerous heat waves The Great Lakes region warmed substantially faster in the six years since the last assessment than it did in decades prior, the report shows.—
Caitlin Looby,
jsonline.com,
24 July 2025
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Here's what each means, according to the NWS: Heat advisory: A heat advisory is the lowest level and is issued for dangerous heat conditions that are not expected to reach the criteria for a more serious alert.—
Chad Murphy,
The Enquirer,
24 July 2025
Adjective
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The team identified three distinct behavioral phenotypes as a result of their experiments, representing the varying sensitivity of people to the adverse consequences (punishment) of their actions.—
Jennifer Ouellette,
ArsTechnica,
24 July 2025
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Without such data, the systems can serve adverse, false results or fail to understand the context of a user’s query, among other issues.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
22 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hurtful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hurtful. Accessed 31 Jul. 2025.
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