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Definition of hurtnext
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hurt

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adjective

hurt

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noun

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
Verb
The status quo isn’t working for artists or students, and the city’s inaction is exacerbating the arts access gap while hurting the New Yorkers who need public arts access most. Kimberly Olsen, New York Daily News, 10 Feb. 2026 Jones started Monday’s protest by stressing to attendees to stay civil, peaceful and not to get anyone hurt. Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
Gen Z has seen the steepest decline in credit scores of any age group this year as student loans repayments, a tough job market, high inflation and fewer opportunities to build credit early hurt young borrowers, according to the inaugural FICO Score Credit Insights Report. Anna Kleiber, jsonline.com, 27 Oct. 2025 But sub Tyrod Taylor is less than fit with a hurt knee. Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
Noun
From those heady days of lavish state spending, PDVSA’s fortunes turned — along with the country’s — as oil prices dropped and government mismanagement eroded profits and hurt production, first under Chávez, then Maduro. Regina Garcia Cano, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026 The neighbors gathering, shouting, whistling, screaming for help… help that is a message of love but like all love powerless to prevent the hurt from happening. Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hurt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hurt
Verb
  • In the bitter New Hampshire night, my skull ached with tight, tectonic pressure.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Lenderman tackled the title track at Zootown Arts Community Center in Missoula, Montana, in October 2022, performing an aching 12-minute rendition.
    Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 13 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Overall, European leaders’ positive reception of Rubio’s speech reflected how horrifically damaged the transatlantic relationship has been by the past year of turmoil over Ukraine, and month of arson over Greenland.
    Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 15 Feb. 2026
  • Some of the fiercest storms in the South were reported near Lake Charles, Louisiana, where high winds from a thunderstorm overturned a horse trailer and a Mardi Gras float, damaged an airport jet bridge and flung the metal awning from a house into power lines.
    Dallas Morning News, Dallas Morning News, 15 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Dozens more were injured, many suffering serious or life-threatening injuries.
    Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
  • Italy’s national fire and rescue service, Vigili del Fuoco, reported that, over the weekend, two people died and one was seriously injured in Alpe Meriggio in Valtellina after being caught in an avalanche that fatally buried at least one of the victims.
    Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 11 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • As the shellshocked families of six children and two women grieve their loss in one of the worst mass shootings in Canada's history, details are emerging about the shooter's mental health struggles and history with police.
    Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 12 Feb. 2026
  • For Le, the coffee shop serves as a community space where customers feel free to grieve and share their experiences with loss.
    Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • The resort’s ski patrol initially responded to the injured skier, who was trekking through the rugged and advanced Martis Trail, according to the Sierra Sun, which covers the local community.
    Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 12 Feb. 2026
  • But the general manager used semantics to make his case, insisting several injured players, including Gerrit Cole, and summer trade acquisitions counted toward turnover.
    Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 11 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Office conversions to residential, especially in New York City, are also helping mitigate some of the distress.
    Diana Olick, CNBC, 11 Feb. 2026
  • Only four districts face significant fiscal distress — a decline from prior years.
    John Manly, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Kuhl said last year that jurors should have the chance to consider whether design features implemented by the companies, like endlessly scrolling feeds, have contributed to mental health harms, rather than content alone.
    CNN.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2026
  • The vast majority of baby foods, drinks and snacks sold in the United States for children ages 6 months to 36 months are ultraprocessed and may contain additives increasingly linked to potential health harms, a new study found.
    Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Missing Barcelona pained Vowles and Williams as a whole.
    Luke Smith, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
  • McNally is still pained by her death.
    Johnny Dodd, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Hurt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hurt. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.

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