HURTING Synonyms: 216 Similar and Opposite Words

hurting 1 of 2

adjective

as in aching

causing or feeling bodily pain a badly hurting finger kept her from writing neatly

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hurting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of hurt

as in throbbing

to feel or cause physical pain my head hurts a bad sprain that really hurts I hurt all over

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as in damaging

to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of don't worry that you'll hurt the new lawn by walking across it

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in injuring

to cause bodily damage to the common belief that reading in poor light hurts your eyes

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as in grieving

to feel deep sadness or mental pain I know you must be hurting from the cruel words they said

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of hurting

Verb

The nationwide high school protest movement — over deteriorating school buildings, teacher shortages, and inequalities hurting schools in disadvantaged neighborhoods — has energized young voters, who may prove key to the election outcome. — ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026 The difference could be former Dolphins tight end Mike Gesicki, who figures to play a more prominent role in the passing game with the Bengals hurting at wide receiver. — Keven Lerner, Sun Sentinel, 8 Oct. 2026 Judd has continued to look forward after hurting his right shoulder during a Week 3 game against Griffith. — Michael Osipoff, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026 That said, if oil and yields keep getting worse, that could start to turn the economy upside down, hurting the major averages. — Sarah Min, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026 Without fine control of force, a machine can see and move but can't act without breaking something or hurting someone. — New Atlas, 6 Oct. 2026 But there is another factor at play hurting the Democratic Party’s public voter registration that may not necessarily translate to people voting for Republican candidates on their ballots. — Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2026 Janie wouldn't be selling anything or hurting anyone, and RushTok naturally draws high traffic and has a low barrier to entry for new creators. — Jesse Watson, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026 This news is telling, considering the fact that Canales told reporters Friday that Reed would only be elevated if Coker — who’s been managing a quad injury since hurting himself against the Browns on Sunday — couldn’t go against the Lions. — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 3 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hurting

Adjective

The homestretch of the drama, however, takes the story in a chilling direction, packing an aching quantity of feeling into a single glance at a security camera as someone climbs into a car and leaves the compound, never to be heard from again.

— Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 26 May 2026
Charles Frazier, Cold Mountain (1997) Charles Frazier’s Cold Mountain is an aching, tender slow burn shaped by absence.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026

Definition of aching

Verb

The 2025 decision came after the group claimed responsibility for breaking into a major air base, RAF Brize Norton, northwest of London, and damaging aircraft.

— Inaya Folarin Iman, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
In October 2025, Baja California’s prosecutor said a drone dropped homemade explosive devices at an anti-kidnapping prosecutor’s office in Tijuana, damaging four vehicles but causing no injuries.

— Armando Regil Velasco, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of damaging

Verb

Monday's attack came a day after a Russian drone struck the village of Pisochyn in the Kharkiv district, killing three people and injuring nine others, including children, according to the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 13 Oct. 2026
The attack on Saturday was deadlier, with strikes killing 12 people and injuring over 300 others.

— David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of injuring

Verb

When the world mourned the death of a beloved monarch in 2023, Prince Edward was grieving the loss of his beloved cousin.

— Stephanie Bridger-Linning, Vanity Fair, 10 Oct. 2026
Still grieving, Viard struggled to occupy the void left by Lagerfeld, whose larger-than-life personality loomed over the Paris fashion landscape and whose workload at Chanel spanned no fewer than 10 collections a year.

— Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of grieving

Adjective

His path crosses with Naoko, a Japanese tourist carrying the weight of a painful past, and Ruby, a young child searching for his parents.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
Rising financial strains on American workers are forcing them to make painful trade-offs, such as skipping medical care, to make ends meet, new research shows.

— Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of painful

Verb

The Trib is withholding Nick’s full name to avoid marring his reputation in the eyes of future employers or others who might run a search on him.

— Kate Payne, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2026
The latter track takes overt inspiration from Sofia Coppola’s 2006 film Marie Antoinette, as Jepsen beckons her love to engage in life’s vices with her, like marring bedsheets with fruit stains and dashing nude through the garden.

— Jaeden Pinder, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of marring

Verb

Russia also attacked warehouse facilities in the Bucha district of the Kyiv region on Friday, wounding three people, Ukraine’s Interior Ministry said on Telegram.

— ABC News, ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026
The officer fired seven rounds into a car, city officials said, wounding the man while a 5-year-old boy was sat in the back seat.

— Jamie Ross, Washington Post, 9 Oct. 2026