Hurt vs Wounded

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

Hurt

Top 1,000 (very common) A2 verb

Wounded

Top 3,000 (common)

Most common: Hurt

	Hurt	Wounded
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 /["/hɜːt/","/hɜːts/","/ˈhɜːtɪŋ/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/hɜːrt/","/hɜːrts/","/ˈhɜːrtɪŋ/"]/	🇬🇧 //ˈwuːndɪd// 🇺🇸 //ˈwuːndɪd//
Meaning	to cause pain or damage to someone or something	Hurt or injured
Example	I accidentally hurt my knee while playing soccer.	The soldier was sadly wounded during the battle.
Register	Neutral	Neutral
How common	Top 1,000 (very common)	Top 3,000 (common)
CEFR level	A2	-
Part of speech	verb
Collocations	badly, seriously, actually, badly, a lot, really, be going to, begin to, badly, deeply, really, attempt to, try to, want to	wounded soldier, wounded animal, wounded heart, wounded pride, wounded feelings
Antonyms	heal, comfort, soothe	unharmed, healed, safe
Common mistakes	Confused with 'hurted' instead of 'hurt', Using 'hurt' as a noun instead of a verb, Mixing up 'hurt' with 'harmed' in contexts where they don't mean the same	Using 'wounded' incorrectly for someone who is upset instead of just hurt., Confusing 'wounded' with 'wound', which is the past tense of wound., Exclusively using 'wounded' in military contexts, ignoring its broader meanings.
Usage notes	Use 'hurt' when talking about physical or emotional pain. It can be used in both formal and informal contexts but avoid it in overly formal writing. Saying someone 'hurt my feelings' is common.	Typically used to describe physical injuries but can also refer to emotional pain. It is appropriate in both written and spoken contexts.

See it in real clips

My feet hurt.

Sherlock › S1 E1

You're dying, but there's still time to hurt you.

The Pitt › S1 E1

Hurt them how?

My feet hurt.

Sherlock › S1 E1

You're dying, but there's still time to hurt you.

Hurt

were 35 dead, times two wounded.

travelling around the country cheering up all them wounded veterans

were 35 dead, times two wounded.

travelling around the country cheering up all them wounded veterans

Wounded

Frequently asked questions: Hurt vs Wounded

What's the difference between Hurt and Wounded?

Hurt: to cause pain or damage to someone or something Wounded: Hurt or injured

Which is more common: Hurt and Wounded?

Hurt is the most common in everyday English.

Can you show an example of each?

Hurt: I accidentally hurt my knee while playing soccer. Wounded: The soldier was sadly wounded during the battle.

Can I use Hurt and Wounded interchangeably?

Not always. Hurt and Wounded are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.