Injure vs Wound

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

Injure

Top 2,000 (common) B1 verb

Wound

Top 2,000 (common) B2 noun

	Injure	Wound
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 /["/ˈɪndʒə(r)/","/ˈɪndʒəz/","/ˈɪndʒəd/","/ˈɪndʒərɪŋ/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ˈɪndʒər/","/ˈɪndʒərz/","/ˈɪndʒərd/","/ˈɪndʒərɪŋ/"]/	🇬🇧 /["/wuːnd/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/wuːnd/"]/
Meaning	to hurt someone or something	An injury to the body, often involving a break in the skin.
Example	He didn't mean to injure his friend during the game.	The soldier received a serious wound during the battle.
Register	Neutral	Neutral
How common	Top 2,000 (common)	Top 2,000 (common)
CEFR level	B1	B2
Part of speech	verb	noun
Collocations	badly, seriously, severely, seriously, severely, be likely to	deep, serious, severe, inflict, receive, suffer, close, heal, bleed, care, healing, wound in, wound to
Antonyms	heal, protect, repair	heal, cure
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.	Confused with 'wound' as in past tense of 'wind'., Using 'wound' instead of 'injury' in non-medical contexts., Mispronouncing it as 'hownd' instead of 'woond'.
Usage notes	Use in contexts related to physical harm. Avoid in casual conversations unless discussing sports or accidents.	Used in both formal and informal contexts. More common in medical situations or when talking about injuries. Avoid using it lightly, as it can sound serious.

See it in real clips

Wade, you got an exit wound.

A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms › S1 E1

We've forgotten men who reaped much more than a wound.

Wade, you got an exit wound.

A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms › S1 E1

We've forgotten men who reaped much more than a wound.

Wound

Frequently asked questions: Injure vs Wound

What's the difference between Injure and Wound?

Injure: to hurt someone or something Wound: An injury to the body, often involving a break in the skin.

Which is more advanced: Injure and Wound?

Wound is the highest level, at B2, on the CEFR scale.

Are Injure and Wound the same CEFR level?

Injure: B1, Wound: B2 on the CEFR scale.

What part of speech are Injure and Wound?

Injure: verb, Wound: noun.

Can you show an example of each?

Injure: He didn't mean to injure his friend during the game. Wound: The soldier received a serious wound during the battle.

Can I use Injure and Wound interchangeably?

Not always. Injure and Wound 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.