injure

verb

ˈin-jər How to pronounce injure (audio)
Definition of injurenext
1
as in to damage
to cause bodily damage to injured himself while skiing

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 Judd Rosen, an attorney representing the family of the other girl who survived but was seriously injured, applauded the charge when reached Tuesday. —David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 31 Mar. 2026 Two other victims, ages 33 and 26, were also injured. —Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2026 No one was injured, authorities said. —Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 31 Mar. 2026 Woods was not injured in the crash and was seen leaving the Martin County Jail late Friday, CNN affiliate WPBF reported. —Holly Yan, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for injure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for injure
  1. damage
  2. mar
  3. hurt
  4. cripple
  5. wound
  6. weaken
  7. bruise
  8. impair
Verb
  • The Red Cross said the crash damaged the building and forced three families — a total of 10 people — from their homes.
    — Eva Andersen, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026
  • Reports and satellite images later showed large parts of the city heavily damaged or reduced to rubble.
    — Maliha Rahman, Sun Sentinel, 5 Apr. 2026
Definition of damage
Verb
  • Their reunion tour — which was somehow not marred by any type of familial controversy — sold out stadiums around the world and overexcelled in every conceivable way, setting the template for what the future of band reunions could look like and solidifying their legacy.
    — Devon Ivie, Vulture, 2 Apr. 2026
  • Ancient lava fields can be seen as dark lunar maria marring the silvery lunar surface, which themselves are threaded with bright streaks of reflective debris strewn across the surface by violent asteroid strikes.
    — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 2 Apr. 2026
Definition of mar
Verb
  • It was later changed due to players getting hurt.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 31 Mar. 2026
  • However, having players of those caliber on the court, both of whom have either been to the NBA Finals or won it, certainly shouldn't hurt.
    — Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Definition of hurt
Verb
  • Iranian missile attacks this month crippled a key industrial center in Qatar, which produces about one-third of the world’s helium.
    — Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 31 Mar. 2026
  • By the mid-1980s, both sides were targeting oil shipments to cripple each other’s economies.
    — Max Saltman, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2026
Definition of cripple
Verb
  • Crosby followed Saturday’s two-point performance by producing a goal and two assists as the Penguins had little trouble in disposing of the exhausted and wounded defending champs in a 5-2 victory on Sunday at PPG Paints Arena.
    — Josh Yohe, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2026
  • Three people were wounded in the Ukrainian port city of Odesa in a separate drone attack.
    — Serra Yedikardes, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2026
Definition of wound
Verb
  • But the president contends there is no excuse for the lack of participation now that Iran's navy has been sunk and its air defenses severely weakened.
    — Michael Loria, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2026
  • In the state’s view, that weakens or muddies the legal boundary between the two types of gambling venues.
    — Amanda Greenwood, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Definition of weaken
Verb
  • The minutiae of his substitution pattern at the beginning of a game wouldn’t bruise his ego, his insatiable yearning to shoot the basketball that Denver desperately needed.
    — Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 22 Mar. 2026
  • The Kings played without Russell Westbrook (quad bruise).
    — CBS News, CBS News, 11 Mar. 2026
Definition of bruise
Verb
  • Some drugs prescribed for insomnia can impair driving the following morning, particularly if higher doses are taken or when they are combined with other sedating substances.
    — Amanda Greenwood, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
  • The alleged victim had been diagnosed with multiple medical conditions, including dementia, and was found to be cognitively impaired in 2024 during a mental health evaluation, according to a probable cause affidavit.
    — Angie DiMichele, Sun Sentinel, 31 Mar. 2026
Definition of impair

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Injure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/injure. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of injure for Spanish Speakers

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