INJURE Synonyms: 116 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'injure' distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of injure are damage , harm , hurt , impair , and mar . While all these words mean "to affect injuriously," injure implies the inflicting of anything detrimental to one's looks, comfort, health, or success. // badly injured in an accident

Q: When might 'damage' be a better fit than 'injure'?

The words damage and injure are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, damage suggests injury that lowers value or impairs usefulness. // a table damaged in shipping

Q: When is it sensible to use 'harm' instead of 'injure'?

Although the words harm and injure have much in common, harm often stresses the inflicting of pain, suffering, or loss. // careful not to harm the animals

Q: When can 'hurt' be used instead of 'injure'?

In some situations, the words hurt and injure are roughly equivalent. However, hurt implies inflicting a wound to the body or to the feelings. // hurt by their callous remarks

Q: When would 'impair' be a good substitute for 'injure'?

The words impair and injure can be used in similar contexts, but impair suggests a making less complete or efficient by deterioration or diminution. // years of smoking had impaired his health

Q: When could 'mar' be used to replace 'injure'?

The meanings of mar and injure largely overlap; however, mar applies to injury that spoils perfection (as of a surface) or causes disfigurement. // the text is marred by many typos

injure

verb

ˈin-jər

Definition of injure next

as in to damage

to cause bodily damage to injured himself while skiing

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as in to mar

to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of the agent's treachery has injured our national security for years to come

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word injure distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of injure are damage, harm, hurt, impair, and mar. While all these words mean "to affect injuriously," injure implies the inflicting of anything detrimental to one's looks, comfort, health, or success.

badly injured in an accident

When might damage be a better fit than injure?

The words damage and injure are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, damage suggests injury that lowers value or impairs usefulness.

a table damaged in shipping

When is it sensible to use harm instead of injure?

Although the words harm and injure have much in common, harm often stresses the inflicting of pain, suffering, or loss.

careful not to harm the animals

When can hurt be used instead of injure?

In some situations, the words hurt and injure are roughly equivalent. However, hurt implies inflicting a wound to the body or to the feelings.

hurt by their callous remarks

When would impair be a good substitute for injure?

The words impair and injure can be used in similar contexts, but impair suggests a making less complete or efficient by deterioration or diminution.

years of smoking had impaired his health

When could mar be used to replace injure?

The meanings of mar and injure largely overlap; however, 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 injure All four occupants of the Outlander were injured in the crash. —

Kansas City Star, 19 May 2026 Beck injured the hamstring on Saturday while chasing flyballs before Colorado’s game against Arizona. —

Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 19 May 2026 The dog was not injured in the squeeze, and has been taken under the care of Metro Animal Care and Control (MACC), per WZTV. —

Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 19 May 2026 Officials added that no animals were injured during the incident. —

Sophia Compton, FOXNews.com, 19 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for injure

Recent Examples of Synonyms for injure

Verb

While satellite launches mostly produce black carbon, which has a potential to warm the upper atmosphere, satellite re-entries generate aluminum oxides, which can damage the ozone layer.

— Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 18 May 2026
Fallen debris also caused a house in the village of Subbotino to catch fire, while four people were injured when drones damaged several residential blocks in the western town of Istra, TASS reported.

— Kosta Gak, CNN Money, 17 May 2026

Definition of damage

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injunctions

injure

injured

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“Injure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/injure. Accessed 23 May. 2026.

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Synonyms of injure

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