hurt

hurt — verb

1. when a part of the body hurts or is painful, or when you make a person or animal

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveA2
Definition

when a part of the body hurts or is painful, or when you make a person or animal suffer physical harm.

Example

Talia hurt her ankle while running across the playground.

transitive: hurt + body part

Christopher's lower back hurts after sitting at the desk all morning.

intransitive: body part + hurts

Common collocations
  • hurt + arm/leg/back/head
  • badly hurt
  • seriously hurt
  • hurt yourself
Synonyms
  • ache

    continuous dull pain; you say your head aches but not 'your ankle ached after the fall' for a sharp injury

  • injure

    more formal and specifically about physical damage to the body, not about simply feeling pain

  • sting

    sharp, brief, surface-level pain like from a bee or a cut

Antonyms
  • heal

    to become healthy again after being hurt

Grammar Patterns

hurt + body part

hurt + reflexive pronoun

body part + hurt(s) / is hurting

Usage Note

When describing a body part that feels pain, use the intransitive pattern (e.g. 'My leg hurts'). Do NOT use the adjective form — 'My leg is hurt' sounds unnatural in this meaning.

Common Mistakes

My leg is hurt since the game.
My leg has been hurting since the game.
Use the continuous form 'is hurting' or simple present 'hurts' for ongoing pain, not the adjective construction.

2. to make someone feel sad, upset, or offended, especially by saying or doing some

2.verbtransitiveA2
Definition

to make someone feel sad, upset, or offended, especially by saying or doing something unkind.

Example

Quan hurt his sister's feelings when he forgot her birthday.

hurt + possessive + feelings

Élise was deeply hurt by the mean remarks her classmates made.

passive: be hurt by [person/thing]

Common collocations
  • hurt + feelings
  • deeply hurt
  • hurt by criticism
  • hurt by rejection
Synonyms
  • offend

    slightly more formal; focuses on causing displeasure or resentment

  • upset

    a gentler word; can describe the resulting state but less forceful than 'hurt'

  • wound

    more literary and intense; suggests deep, lasting emotional injury

Antonyms
  • comfort

    to make someone feel less sad or worried

Grammar Patterns

hurt + possessive + feelings

be hurt + by + noun phrase / that-clause

It hurts + person + to-infinitive

Usage Note

The most natural object is 'someone's feelings' rather than just 'someone', though the shorter form is also common in conversation. Frequently used in the passive: 'I was hurt by what she said.'

Common Mistakes

I'm very hurt with her.
I'm very hurt by what she did.
Use 'by' not 'with' to introduce the cause of hurt feelings.

3. to have a negative effect on something, such as a business, someone's chances of

3.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to have a negative effect on something, such as a business, someone's chances of success, or a relationship.

Example

The bad weather hurt the farmer's harvest more than expected.

hurt + noun phrase [harvest/business]

Rising material costs have hurt many small furniture shops in the area.

Common collocations
  • hurt business
  • hurt chances
  • hurt reputation
  • hurt sales
  • hurt the economy
Synonyms
  • damage

    stronger and more permanent; suggests serious structural or reputational harm

  • harm

    similar but slightly more formal; often used in legal or policy contexts

  • set back

    phrasal verb meaning to delay progress or improvement

Antonyms
  • boost

    to improve or increase something, e.g. 'boost sales'

Grammar Patterns

hurt + noun phrase [business/chances/reputation/sales]

Usage Note

The subject is typically an event, condition, or action (not a person). Common objects include 'chances', 'sales', 'reputation', 'business', and 'economy'. This sense is rarely used in the continuous form.

Common Mistakes

The new tax hurt.
The new tax hurt small businesses.
In this sense, 'hurt' is always transitive; you must state what is harmed.

4. for a person, group, or business to struggle financially or materially because t

4.verbintransitiveB2
Definition

for a person, group, or business to struggle financially or materially because they lack essential resources like money or supplies.

Example

Many families in the area are hurting financially after the factory shut down.

be hurting + adverb [financially]

The local food bank is hurting for donations this winter more than ever.

be hurting for + noun

Common collocations
  • hurting financially
  • hurting for money
  • hurting for business
Synonyms
  • struggle

    broader; can refer to any difficulty, not just financial

  • suffer

    implies actual hardship or loss, not just shortage

Antonyms
  • prosper

    to be successful, especially financially

Grammar Patterns

be hurting + adverb [financially/badly]

be hurting for + noun [money/donations/food]

Usage Note

Almost always used in the continuous form ('is hurting', 'are hurting') rather than the simple present. The phrase 'hurting for' is informal and typically takes a resource as its object.

Common Mistakes

The company hurts for money.
The company is hurting for money.
This sense strongly prefers the continuous form 'is/are hurting'.
Idioms

wouldn't hurt a fly

idiom

used to say that someone is very gentle by nature and would never cause harm to anyone or anything.

Don't be afraid of the big dog — he wouldn't hurt a fly.

Nia talks tough, but she wouldn't hurt a fly really.

it wouldn't hurt (to do something)

idiom

used to suggest that an action is advisable or would be beneficial, even if it seems unnecessary.

It wouldn't hurt to arrive a few minutes early for the interview.

It wouldn't hurt you to help with the dishes once in a while.

hit (someone) where it hurts

idiom

to affect someone in the most sensitive or vulnerable area, often their finances or emotions.

The new tax policy hit small business owners right where it hurts — their profits.

If you want to get back at him, hit him where it hurts and stop talking to him.

hit somebody where it hurts

idiom

To attack someone in a way that causes them the most pain or trouble.

Maya hit her opponent where it hurts by exposing his lies.

If you want to win, hit them where it hurts—their reputation.

not harm/hurt a fly

idiom

To be very gentle and kind, never wanting to cause any harm.

Diego is so gentle; he wouldn't hurt a fly.

Our cat wouldn't harm a fly, despite his big size.

hurt — adjective

hurt — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

These four verbs all describe physical pain, but they differ in how the pain feels and how serious it is. 'Hurt' is the most general word — you can use it for any kind of physical pain or injury, from a small cut to a broken bone. 'Ache' describes a dull, continuous pain that lasts for a while, like a headache or a sore muscle after exercise. 'Sting' is a sharp, brief pain that affects the surface of the skin — think of a bee sting or a paper cut. 'Injure' is more formal and more serious than 'hurt'; you injure yourself in a car accident or a sports game, not from a minor bump. 'Wound' is the most serious of the group and usually involves a weapon or violent attack, like a knife wound or a bullet wound. For everyday use, 'hurt' covers most situations: 'I hurt my knee' sounds natural, while 'I injured my knee' sounds more clinical, and 'I wounded my knee' would sound odd outside a battlefield context.

ache ↗sting ↗injure ↗wound ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

Old FrenchAnglo-NormanMiddle EnglishModern English

The word 'hurt' comes from Old French 'hurter' meaning 'to knock, strike, or collide with'. It entered English in the 1200s and originally meant to strike or bump into something, which is why physical injury was its first meaning. By the 1300s, it had already developed the emotional sense — people described hearts and feelings as being 'hurt' by unkind words. The financial-hardship sense ('the economy is hurting') appeared in American English around the early 1900s. The word has Germanic cousins in Dutch 'harten' and German 'hurten', though the modern German 'verletzen' (to injure) comes from a different root.