wound

wound — noun

1. a place on the body where the outer tissue has been broken or torn, usually caus

1.nounB1
Definition

a place on the body where the outer tissue has been broken or torn, usually caused by something sharp, a weapon, or an accident

Example

The doctor cleaned the wound on Takeshi's arm and wrapped it with a clean bandage.

wound on + body part; medical context

Nadia's wound healed much faster than the doctors had expected.

Common collocations
  • deep wound
  • open wound
  • flesh wound
  • surgical wound
  • wound heals
  • dress a wound
  • clean a wound
  • wound on/in
Synonyms
  • injury

    broader term covering any physical harm, including bruises, breaks, and burns

  • cut

    specifically a wound made by something sharp, usually on the surface only

  • gash

    a long deep cut; more dramatic in register than 'wound'

  • lesion

    a medical term for any damaged or abnormal area of tissue

Grammar Patterns

a wound + on/in + body part

Usage Note

The verb 'injure' is more general; 'wound' specifically suggests a break in the skin or flesh.

Common Mistakes

He had a wound on his leg after the car crash.
He had an injury to his leg after the car crash.
'wound' usually means a cut or tear in the skin from a sharp object or weapon, not a bruise or broken bone from a crash.

2. a lasting feeling of sadness, hurt, or pain in the mind caused by a painful expe

2.nounB2
Definition

a lasting feeling of sadness, hurt, or pain in the mind caused by a painful experience or by something unkind that someone has done or said

Example

Losing the family home was a wound that took Élise years to recover from.

a wound + that-clause describing the painful experience

The argument between the brothers reopened old wounds that everyone thought had healed.

reopen old wounds — idiomatic collocation

Common collocations
  • deep wound
  • old wound
  • emotional wound
  • heal a wound
  • reopen a wound
  • leave a wound
Synonyms
  • hurt

    more general and less formal than 'wound'; can be a passing feeling

  • trauma

    a much stronger, clinical term for severe emotional damage

  • pain

    broader in meaning; can be physical or emotional without the lasting-injury image

Grammar Patterns

wound + to/of + abstract noun

Usage Note

Usually preceded by a modifier such as 'deep', 'old', or 'emotional'. Common in fixed expressions like 'reopen old wounds' and 'heal the wounds'.

Common Mistakes

She had a wound from the argument.
The argument left a deep emotional wound that stayed with her.
the figurative sense needs context or a modifier to signal it is not physical.
Idioms

rub salt into the wound

idiom

to make a bad situation even worse for someone who is already upset or suffering

Laughing at his mistake after he lost the match just rubbed salt into the wound.

When Lara failed the exam, her brother rubbed salt into the wound by saying he had scored full marks.

lick your wounds

idiom

to spend time trying to get your strength or confidence back after a defeat or disappointment

After losing the election, the candidate went home to lick his wounds.

The team spent the weekend licking their wounds after the heavy defeat.

reopen old wounds

idiom

To bring back painful memories from the past.

Maya's apology only reopened old wounds for her brother.

Why would you reopen old wounds by mentioning that incident?

wound — verb

wound — verb

Word family

  • wounded
    adjectiveB1
  • wounding
    adjectiveC1
  • unwounded
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe physical damage to the body, but they differ in specificity. 'Wound' (B1) is the most useful all-purpose word for a break in the skin — it is neutral and works in both everyday and medical contexts. 'Injury' (A2) is the broadest term: it covers wounds, but also bruises, sprains, fractures, and burns. 'Cut' (A2) is narrower and more concrete, referring specifically to an opening made by a sharp edge; you can say 'a paper cut' but not 'a paper wound'. 'Gash' (C1) is a deep, ugly cut that usually bleeds heavily, and it carries a more dramatic or even violent tone — a kitchen accident produces a cut, but a knife attack leaves a gash. 'Lesion' (C1) is almost exclusively medical; it refers to any abnormal tissue, including internal damage that cannot be seen. For everyday speaking and writing, 'wound' and 'cut' are the safest choices, while 'injury' is best when you are not sure of the specific type of harm.

injury ↗cut ↗gashlesion

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

Proto-Indo-EuropeanOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'wound' meaning injury comes from Old English 'wund', related to the German 'Wunde' (a wound) and the Dutch 'wond'. It can be traced back to the Proto-Indo-European root *wen- (to strive, to wish, to love), which also gave us 'win' — the original link being the idea of a blow or strike received in battle. Separately, the homograph 'wound' (past tense of 'wind', meaning to twist) comes from a different Old English root: 'windan' (to turn or twist), from Proto-Germanic *windaną, related to Latin 'vertere' (to turn). The two words share a spelling but have entirely different origins and pronunciations.