Cool MateHurt
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