Cool MateThey hurt you vs Wound
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
They hurt you
Top 5,000 (fairly common)
Wound
Top 2,000 (common)B2noun
Most common: Wound
| They hurt you | Wound | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //ðeɪ hɜːt juː//🇺🇸 //ðeɪ hɜrt ju// | 🇬🇧 /["/wuːnd/"]/🇺🇸 /["/wuːnd/"]/ |
| Meaning | To cause you physical or emotional pain. | An injury to the body, often involving a break in the skin. |
| Example | They hurt you when they ignored your feelings. | The soldier received a serious wound during the battle. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 5,000 (fairly common) | Top 2,000 (common) |
| CEFR level | - | B2 |
| Part of speech | noun | |
| Collocations | hurt someone's feelings, hurt deeply, they hurt each other | deep, serious, severe, inflict, receive, suffer, close, heal, bleed, care, healing, wound in, wound to |
| Antonyms | - | heal, cure |
| Common mistakes | 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. | 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 | Commonly used to describe emotional or physical pain. Avoid in formal contexts; consider alternatives for sensitive discussions. | 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
Frequently asked questions: They hurt you vs Wound
What's the difference between They hurt you and Wound?
They hurt you: To cause you physical or emotional pain. Wound: An injury to the body, often involving a break in the skin.
Which is more common: They hurt you and Wound?
Wound is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
They hurt you: They hurt you when they ignored your feelings. Wound: The soldier received a serious wound during the battle.
Can I use They hurt you and Wound interchangeably?
Not always. They hurt you 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.