injured

injured — adjective

1. describes a person or a part of the body that has been physically harmed — for e

1.adjectiveA2
Definition

describes a person or a part of the body that has been physically harmed — for example, a broken bone, a deep cut, or damage from a fall, crash, or attack

Example

Kofi got injured during the football match and was taken to a hospital for treatment.

get + injured + during [activity]

The injured passengers were helped out of the overturned bus one by one.

injured before a noun (attributive use)

Common collocations
  • seriously injured
  • badly injured
  • critically injured
  • injured in a crash
  • injured soldier
  • injured limb
Synonyms
  • hurt

    less formal and can refer to minor harm or emotional pain

  • wounded

    specifically suggests injury from a weapon, bullet, or in battle

  • harmed

    broader meaning that can include non-physical or indirect damage

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

be/get injured

injured + body part noun

Usage Note

Unlike 'hurt', which can describe either physical or emotional pain, 'injured' in this sense refers only to physical damage. 'Injured' also suggests more serious harm than 'hurt' — a small scratch would be 'hurt' but not usually 'injured'. Frequently used with adverbs showing severity: badly, seriously, critically.

Common Mistakes

I got injured a small cut on my finger.
I got a small cut on my finger.
'Injured' is not used for minor cuts or scratches; it implies more serious bodily harm.
She was injured in the feelings by his words.
Her feelings were hurt by his words.
Physical sense of 'injured' does not apply to emotions; use 'hurt' for emotional pain.

2. describes a person whose feelings have been hurt by unfair treatment, being over

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

describes a person whose feelings have been hurt by unfair treatment, being overlooked, or unkind words — most often applied to pride, dignity, or a facial expression

Example

Olivia left the meeting with an injured look after her proposal was rejected without discussion.

injured + look/expression (face reveals the feeling)

Mert spoke with injured pride, insisting that his contribution had been overlooked.

injured + pride (common fixed collocation)

Common collocations
  • injured pride
  • injured feelings
  • injured look
  • injured expression
  • injured tone
Synonyms
  • offended

    more direct and commonly used; focuses on taking something personally

  • upset

    broader, can describe any emotional disturbance, not just from unfair treatment

  • hurt

    the most common word for emotional pain in everyday English

Antonyms
  • pleased

    satisfied and happy with how you were treated

  • unoffended

    not taking something as a personal insult

Grammar Patterns

injured + noun (pride/feelings/look)

feel injured

Usage Note

This sense appears most often in fixed collocations such as 'injured pride', 'injured feelings', and 'injured look/expression'. As a standalone predicate ('She felt injured') it is less common and sounds more formal or literary than 'hurt' or 'offended'.

Common Mistakes

She injured me by forgetting my birthday.
She hurt my feelings by forgetting my birthday.
Use 'hurt' not 'injured' for emotional pain in everyday speech; 'injured' in this sense is more formal and usually restricted to set phrases like 'injured pride'.
Idioms

injured party

idiom

the person who has suffered harm, loss, or damage in a situation, especially in a legal context such as a lawsuit or insurance claim

The injured party in the lawsuit was awarded compensation for medical expenses and lost income.

Insurance companies must process the claim within thirty days of receiving the injured party's statement.

injured pride

idiom

a feeling of hurt dignity or self-respect caused by being treated unfairly, ignored, or criticised

Christopher walked away with injured pride after his suggestion was laughed at by the group.

Behind Christopher's angry words was nothing more than injured pride — he hated being shown up in front of colleagues.

injured — noun

Word family

  • injure
    verbB1
  • injury
    nounB1
  • injurious
    adjectiveC1
  • uninjured
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

These four words describe different kinds and degrees of damage. 'Hurt' is the most general and can refer to both physical and emotional pain — it is everyday language ('She hurt her ankle while jogging'). 'Injured' is more specific to physical bodily harm, usually more serious than 'hurt', and is common in medical and accident contexts ('Three people were injured in the crash'). 'Wounded' is strongly associated with injuries from weapons, bullets, or combat ('The soldier was wounded in the leg by shrapnel'). 'Harmed' is the broadest: it can include physical damage, financial loss, or reputational damage ('The company's reputation was harmed by the scandal'). In everyday speech, use 'hurt' for minor or emotional situations, 'injured' for accidents requiring medical attention, 'wounded' for battle or violent attack, and 'harmed' for abstract or indirect damage.

hurt ↗wounded ↗harmed

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • get injured
  • be found injured
  • injured in an accident
  • injured during a match

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Comes from Latin 'iniuriatus', the past participle of 'iniuriare' meaning 'to wrong or do an injustice to someone'. The word passed through Old French as 'enjurié' and entered Middle English. Interestingly, the earliest English meaning was about being wronged or treated unjustly — the physical sense of being hurt or wounded developed later.