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hurt

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noun

hurt

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adjective

Synonym Chooser

How is the word hurt distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of hurt are damage, harm, impair, injure, and mar. While all these words mean "to affect injuriously," hurt implies inflicting a wound to the body or to the feelings.

hurt by their callous remarks

When can damage be used instead of hurt?

Although the words damage and hurt have much in common, damage suggests injury that lowers value or impairs usefulness.

a table damaged in shipping

When might harm be a better fit than hurt?

The words harm and hurt can be used in similar contexts, but harm often stresses the inflicting of pain, suffering, or loss.

careful not to harm the animals

When could impair be used to replace hurt?

The words impair and hurt are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, impair suggests a making less complete or efficient by deterioration or diminution.

years of smoking had impaired his health

When would injure be a good substitute for hurt?

While in some cases nearly identical to hurt, injure implies the inflicting of anything detrimental to one's looks, comfort, health, or success.

badly injured in an accident

When is mar a more appropriate choice than hurt?

While the synonyms mar and hurt are close in meaning, mar applies to injury that spoils perfection (as of a surface) or causes disfigurement.

the text is marred by many typos

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 hurt
Noun
Here is what to know: More: Will Trump's big tax bill help or hurt you? Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 7 July 2025 This would hurt even the most polished comedy or the most clockwork heist movie, let alone one that hopes to be both. Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 26 June 2025
Adjective
Without a clear roadmap, friendship breakups often feel ambiguous, or sometimes lead to unnecessary hurt. Charles Trepany, USA Today, 7 June 2025 Gilgeous-Alexander made sure that miss hurt; an incredible drive into the paint was finished off with a floating layup that gave the Thunder a six-point cushion. Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 5 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for hurt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hurt
Verb
  • Owners may consider special stairs, a ramp or even a stroller to help their elderly dog move around, while some dogs benefit from special beds and crate pads to help aching muscles and stiff joints.
    Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 July 2025
  • Like all great period romances, Maurice places aching desire at the forefront, with the men's palpable yearning made all the more soul-shattering by the fetters of their time.
    Lia Beck, EW.com, 25 June 2025
Verb
  • Anything that damages the trust between the vendor, Microsoft, and the user is as much a threat as the hackers themselves, in my never humble opinion.
    Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
  • Driving through deep water can also damage a vehicle's mechanical and electrical systems.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 14 July 2025
Verb
  • In recent weeks, WWE has teased some huge feuds for Gunther, including one with Seth Rollins, who was injured on Saturday, that seems unlikely given Rollins’ other rivalries and the fact that both stars are heels.
    Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 13 July 2025
  • While Trump suffered a wound when one bullet grazed his ear, others were injured and volunteer firefighter Corey Comperatore died as a result of the shooting.
    Jenny Goldsberry, The Washington Examiner, 13 July 2025
Verb
  • Dogs, the nation's most-popular pet, were also called challenging to raise and grieve.
    Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 July 2025
  • This has led some to publicly chastise the grieving parents for seeking vengeance over justice, a criticism that Kristi addressed in a Facebook post on Thursday, July 3.
    Chris Spargo, People.com, 4 July 2025
Noun
  • Brown said a bite from a lone star tick can trigger an allergic reaction, with symptoms including hives, gastrointestinal distress and potentially life-threatening anaphylaxis.
    State House News Service, Boston Herald, 13 July 2025
  • Tiffany had shown no indication of being depressed or in emotional distress.
    Alex Gurley, People.com, 12 July 2025
Noun
  • Experts say the false rhetoric coming out of the Trump administration creates real harm.
    Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 12 July 2025
  • Under Vera’s order, Los Angeles police are banned from using chemical irritants, and flash-bangs against journalists who do not pose a threat of imminent harm to an officer or another person.
    Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 12 July 2025
Verb
  • Like his old friend Zora, Duncan is still pained by a tragic family loss; the two of them pull a crafty move to get Krebs to bump up Duncan’s fee.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 30 June 2025
  • Wasp abstracts that pain away—while giving AI systems a higher-level interface to build on.
    Josipa Majic Predin, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025
Verb
  • The last weekend of June in Indianapolis was marred by a rash of shootings that left seven dead and nine others injured.
    Noe Padilla, IndyStar, 30 June 2025
  • The Mets go the way of Francisco Lindor, and he’s been marred in his own slump this month.
    Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 30 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Hurt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hurt. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.

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