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
But some of the messages are frightening and certainly very hurtful.
—
Alice Park, TIME, 20 Mar. 2025
While some of the salacious gossip has been hurtful, Ovesen does not allow herself to be defined by it.
—Lynnette Nicholas, Essence, 19 Mar. 2025
All 10 candidates denounced the rhetoric, with some saying more needs to be done to call out hurtful behavior, especially in social media.
—Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2025
The filmmaker never shied away from mentioning how hurtful these experiences had been.
—Maelle Beauget-Uhl, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hurtful
Alice Park, TIME, 20 Mar. 2025
While some of the salacious gossip has been hurtful, Ovesen does not allow herself to be defined by it.
—Lynnette Nicholas, Essence, 19 Mar. 2025
All 10 candidates denounced the rhetoric, with some saying more needs to be done to call out hurtful behavior, especially in social media.
—Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2025
The filmmaker never shied away from mentioning how hurtful these experiences had been.
—Maelle Beauget-Uhl, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hurtful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hurtful
Adjective
-
The debate over the law centers on balancing accountability for harmful content with the risks of censorship and stifled innovation.—
Daryl Lim,
The Conversation,
9 Apr. 2025
-
Shiny and minty, these balms provide a gloss-like effect while protecting your lips from the sun’s harmful rays.—
Jillian Dara,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
However, Trump has described his policies as a painful yet necessary step to encourage companies to relocate their operations to the United States.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
4 Apr. 2025
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The overstressed tissue, either along your arch or right next to your heel, can then sustain tiny tears and become irritated, inflamed, and painful.—
Cindy Kuzma,
SELF,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The Institute for the Study of War said Friday that Russian strikes on Ukraine's civilian infrastructure under the cover of the ceasefire on energy strikes were detrimental to establishing peace.—
John W. Dean,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Apr. 2025
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Data shows how detrimental bad habits can be relative to the buy-and-hold investor.—
Greg Iacurci,
CNBC,
5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Everybody else has no choice, really, other than to bring a cruel, narcissistic far-right leader to power.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2025
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Jokes that didn’t land with the squad The kids in Bad Influence say the pranks were the most cruel.—
Olivia B. Waxman,
Time,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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But in recent years, lung disease for miners has become a major concern again, Laney says, because coal increasingly comes from mines embedded in sandstone, and which generates dust that's 20 times more damaging to lungs than coal.—
Yuki Noguchi,
NPR,
9 Apr. 2025
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The storms are threatening large hail and damaging wind gusts up to 60 mph.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Donald Trump defended his harsh new tariffs on Saturday Night Live this week — and maybe took a swipe at last week’s musical guest, too.—
Dave Nemetz,
TVLine,
5 Apr. 2025
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Never one for details, Trump is now clearly linking the harsh 54% tariffs imposed on China on Tuesday to a TikTok deal.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Many of the surf zone fatalities occur when distant hurricanes send swells to shore that create dangerous conditions at the coast, such as strong surf and rip currents, the hurricane center stated.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
6 Apr. 2025
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Both teams possess forwards who are dangerous when running in behind defences.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The foreign material could pose serious adverse health consequences, leading the FSIS to consider the recall a Class I—the agency's highest level of alert.—
Abigail Wilt,
Southern Living,
7 Apr. 2025
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And while the metal is usually excreted from the body, and most people experience no adverse side effects, previous research has shown some gadolinium particles have been left behind.—
John W. Dean,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hurtful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hurtful. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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