Cool MateInjure vs They hurt you
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Injure
Top 2,000 (common)B1verb
They hurt you
Top 5,000 (fairly common)
Most common: Injure
| Injure | They hurt you | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/ˈɪndʒə(r)/","/ˈɪndʒəz/","/ˈɪndʒəd/","/ˈɪndʒərɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈɪndʒər/","/ˈɪndʒərz/","/ˈɪndʒərd/","/ˈɪndʒərɪŋ/"]/ | 🇬🇧 //ðeɪ hɜːt juː//🇺🇸 //ðeɪ hɜrt ju// |
| Meaning | to hurt someone or something | To cause you physical or emotional pain. |
| Example | He didn't mean to injure his friend during the game. | They hurt you when they ignored your feelings. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 5,000 (fairly common) |
| CEFR level | B1 | - |
| Part of speech | verb | |
| Collocations | badly, seriously, severely, seriously, severely, be likely to | hurt someone's feelings, hurt deeply, they hurt each other |
| Antonyms | heal, protect, repair | - |
| Common mistakes | Confused with 'harm' — 'injure' specifically refers to physical damage., Using 'injure' with non-physical subjects (e.g., 'injure feelings')., Mixing up 'injure' with 'injury' — one is a verb and the other is a noun. | Using 'hurted' instead of 'hurt' as the past tense., Confusing with 'hurt' meaning injury with 'hurt' as in emotional pain., Not clarifying who 'they' is in conversations. |
| Usage notes | Use in contexts related to physical harm. Avoid in casual conversations unless discussing sports or accidents. | Commonly used to describe emotional or physical pain. Avoid in formal contexts; consider alternatives for sensitive discussions. |
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Frequently asked questions: Injure vs They hurt you
What's the difference between Injure and They hurt you?
Injure: to hurt someone or something They hurt you: To cause you physical or emotional pain.
Which is more common: Injure and They hurt you?
Injure is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
Injure: He didn't mean to injure his friend during the game. They hurt you: They hurt you when they ignored your feelings.
Can I use Injure and They hurt you interchangeably?
Not always. Injure and They hurt you 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.