Damage vs Destroy vs Harm vs Hurt vs Injure

Cuándo usar cada una en inglés, con significado, registro y ejemplos.

Damage

Top 1000 (muy común) B1 noun

Destroy

Top 1000 (muy común) A2 verb

Harm

Top 2000 (común) B2 noun

Hurt

Top 1000 (muy común) A2 verb

Injure

Top 2000 (común) B1 verb

	Damage	Destroy	Harm	Hurt	Injure
Pronunciación	🇬🇧 /["/ˈdæmɪdʒ/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ˈdæmɪdʒ/"]/	🇬🇧 /["/dɪˈstrɔɪ/","/dɪˈstrɔɪz/","/dɪˈstrɔɪd/","/dɪˈstrɔɪɪŋ/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/dɪˈstrɔɪ/","/dɪˈstrɔɪz/","/dɪˈstrɔɪd/","/dɪˈstrɔɪɪŋ/"]/	🇬🇧 /["/hɑːm/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/hɑːrm/"]/	🇬🇧 /["/hɜːt/","/hɜːts/","/ˈhɜːtɪŋ/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/hɜːrt/","/hɜːrts/","/ˈhɜːrtɪŋ/"]/	🇬🇧 /["/ˈɪndʒə(r)/","/ˈɪndʒəz/","/ˈɪndʒəd/","/ˈɪndʒərɪŋ/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ˈɪndʒər/","/ˈɪndʒərz/","/ˈɪndʒərd/","/ˈɪndʒərɪŋ/"]/
Significado	Dañar o lastimar algo. Harm or hurt something.	arruinar completamente o hacer que algo deje de existir to completely ruin or cause something to no longer exist	Hacerle daño a alguien o algo. To hurt someone or something.	causar dolor o daño a alguien o algo to cause pain or damage to someone or something	herir a alguien o algo to hurt someone or something
Ejemplo	The storm caused significant damage to the roof.	The storm can easily destroy buildings if it's strong enough.	The use of plastic can cause harm to the environment.	I accidentally hurt my knee while playing soccer.	He didn't mean to injure his friend during the game.
Registro	Neutral	Neutral	Neutral	Neutral	Neutral
Qué tan común	Top 1000 (muy común)	Top 1000 (muy común)	Top 2000 (común)	Top 1000 (muy común)	Top 2000 (común)
Nivel CEFR	B1	A2	B2	A2	B1
Categoría gramatical	noun	verb	noun	verb	verb
Colocaciones	considerable, enormous, great, cause, do, inflict, occur, result, assessment, report, control, damage by, damage from, damage to, the cost of the damage, the damage is done, the extent of the damage, considerable, enormous, great, cause, do, inflict, occur, result, assessment, report, control, damage by, damage from, damage to, the cost of the damage, the damage is done, the extent of the damage, civil, substantial, punitive, incur, suffer, claim, action, claim, award, in damage, damage for, damage of, an action for damages, a claim for damages	completely, entirely, totally, can, could, etc., an attempt to destroy something, be capable of destroying something, be intent on destroying something, humanely, have to be destroyed	considerable, great, serious, cause, do, inflict, come to somebody/​something, harm from, harm to, more harm than good, out of harm’s way	badly, seriously, actually, badly, a lot, really, be going to, begin to, badly, deeply, really, attempt to, try to, want to	badly, seriously, severely, seriously, severely, be likely to
Antónimos	repair, restore, fix	build, create, construct	benefit, heal, protect	heal, comfort, soothe	heal, protect, repair
Errores comunes	Confusing 'damage' with 'damages', which refers to monetary compensation., Using 'damaged' incorrectly as a noun., Mixing up 'damage' (noun) with 'damaging' (verb form).	Using with a non-physical object, like 'destroy a feeling' - should say 'hurt' or 'damage'., Confusing with 'create' - opposite meanings but can confuse learners., Using in a passive voice incorrectly, like 'was destroyed by him' which can sound confusing.	Confused with 'harm' vs 'damage' — 'harm' often involves living beings., Incorrect verb forms — learners might say 'harmes' instead of 'harms'., Using it in a non-causal way, like 'He was harmed by falling.' instead of 'He was harmed when he fell.'	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	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.
Notas de uso	Usa 'daño' cuando hables de daño físico o pérdida. Se puede usar en contextos escritos y hablados. Evita usarlo en situaciones muy informales; en su lugar, usa 'lastimar' o 'herir' para contextos más simples. Use 'damage' when talking about physical harm or loss. It can be used in both written and spoken contexts. Avoid using it in very casual situations; instead, use 'hurt' or 'harm' for simpler contexts.	Usa 'destruir' cuando te refieres a causar daño o ruina total. Es adecuado en la mayoría de los contextos, pero evita usarlo a la ligera en conversaciones informales para describir daños menores, ya que puede sonar demasiado dramático. Use 'destroy' when referring to causing complete damage or ruin. It's suitable in most contexts but avoid using it lightly in casual conversations to describe minor damage, as it may sound overly dramatic.	Usa 'daño' en contextos donde alguien o algo se ve afectado negativamente. Es adecuado tanto para el habla como para la escritura, pero evita contextos demasiado emocionales. Use 'harm' in contexts where someone or something is negatively affected. It's suitable for both spoken and written English but avoids overly emotional contexts.	Usa 'herir' cuando hables de dolor físico o emocional. Se puede usar en contextos formales e informales, pero evítalo en escritos demasiado formales. Decir que alguien 'herió mis sentimientos' es común. 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.	Usa en contextos relacionados con daño físico. Evita en conversaciones casuales a menos que hables de deportes o accidentes. Use in contexts related to physical harm. Avoid in casual conversations unless discussing sports or accidents.

Míralo en clips reales

The Lord Of The Rings › The Fellowship Of The Ring

-Destroy it! -No.

those who attempt to poison and destroy My brothers.

Search and destroy.

The Lord Of The Rings › The Fellowship Of The Ring

-Destroy it! -No.

those who attempt to poison and destroy My brothers.

Destroy

House Of Cards › S1 E1

There's no harm in looking.

Harm

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

Preguntas frecuentes: Damage vs Destroy vs Harm vs Hurt vs Injure

¿Cuál es la diferencia entre Damage, Destroy, Harm, Hurt e Injure?

Damage: Harm or hurt something. Destroy: to completely ruin or cause something to no longer exist Harm: To hurt someone or something. Hurt: to cause pain or damage to someone or something Injure: to hurt someone or something

¿Cuál es más avanzada: Damage, Destroy, Harm, Hurt e Injure?

Harm es la de nivel más alto, en B2, en la escala CEFR.

¿Damage, Destroy, Harm, Hurt e Injure tienen el mismo nivel CEFR?

Damage: B1, Destroy: A2, Harm: B2, Hurt: A2, Injure: B1 en la escala CEFR.

¿Qué categoría gramatical son Damage, Destroy, Harm, Hurt e Injure?

Damage: noun, Destroy: verb, Harm: noun, Hurt: verb, Injure: verb.

¿Puedes mostrar un ejemplo de cada una?

Damage: The storm caused significant damage to the roof. Destroy: The storm can easily destroy buildings if it's strong enough. Harm: The use of plastic can cause harm to the environment. Hurt: I accidentally hurt my knee while playing soccer. Injure: He didn't mean to injure his friend during the game.

¿Puedo usar Damage, Destroy, Harm, Hurt e Injure indistintamente?

No siempre. Damage, Destroy, Harm, Hurt e Injure están relacionadas y a veces se solapan, pero difieren en registro, frecuencia y uso, así que cambiar una por otra puede alterar el significado o el tono. Revisa las diferencias de arriba antes de sustituir.