A2verb1K

Hurt

UK /["/hɜːt/","/hɜːts/","/ˈhɜːtɪŋ/"]/US /["/hɜːrt/","/hɜːrts/","/ˈhɜːrtɪŋ/"]/

Definition

to cause physical pain to somebody/yourself; to injure somebody/yourself

In simple words: to cause pain or damage to someone or something

Examples

  • I accidentally hurt my knee while playing soccer.
  • She didn't want to hurt his feelings after the breakup.
  • The loud noise really hurt my ears.
  • Be careful, that knife can hurt you if you’re not careful.
  • He felt hurt after his friends cancelled the dinner plans.

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.

Grammar pattern

hurt + object

Memory hint

Think of a hurt bird that can't fly; it reminds you how pain affects movement.

Collocations

  • badly
  • seriously
  • actually
  • badly
  • a lot
  • really
  • be going to
  • begin to
  • badly
  • deeply
  • really
  • attempt to
  • try to
  • want to

Synonyms

  • injure
  • damage
  • wound
  • afflict
  • distress

Antonyms

  • heal
  • comfort
  • soothe

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