hurt
HighNeutral (used across formal, informal, and literary contexts)
Definition
Meaning
To cause physical pain or injury; to feel physical pain.
To cause emotional distress or psychological pain; to be detrimental or damaging; to feel emotional pain.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word 'hurt' is polysemous, covering both physical and emotional domains. It can function as a verb (transitive and intransitive), adjective, and (rarely) noun. It often implies a negative impact on well-being.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. The past and past participle forms are both 'hurt' in both varieties. Slight preference differences in collocations (e.g., 'hurt oneself' vs. 'get hurt').
Connotations
Identical in core meaning. The adjective 'hurt' can sound slightly more emotional/literary in some UK contexts.
Frequency
Equally high frequency in both dialects.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[NP] hurt [NP] (transitive)[NP] hurt (intransitive)[NP] be/get hurt (adjectival/passive)It hurts [to-VP/that-clause]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “wouldn't hurt a fly”
- “a hit dog will holler”
- “hurt for (someone/something)”
- “cry hurt”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used to describe negative financial impact: 'The new regulations will hurt small businesses.'
Academic
Used in psychology/sociology to discuss emotional or social harm: 'The study examined how exclusion hurts adolescent development.'
Everyday
Very common for minor injuries and emotional upsets: 'I hurt my knee.' / 'His comment hurt.'
Technical
In medical contexts, refers to pain or injury location: 'Patient reports it hurts when bearing weight.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- Mind you don't hurt yourself on that broken glass.
- It hurts to see the team play so poorly.
- The criticism didn't hurt her in the slightest.
American English
- Be careful not to get hurt playing football.
- My back really hurts after moving those boxes.
- Higher interest rates could hurt the housing market.
adverb
British English
- (Rare/Non-standard) He spoke hurt and angry.
American English
- (Rare/Non-standard) She stared at him, hurt and confused.
adjective
British English
- She had a hurt look in her eyes after the argument.
- The hurt animal was taken to the vet.
American English
- He tried to hide his hurt feelings.
- Help the hurt player off the field.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My head hurts.
- Did you hurt your hand?
- I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you.
- He was badly hurt in the accident.
- Their decision hurt the company's profits.
- She felt hurt when her friend forgot her birthday.
- The scandal hurt his chances of being re-elected.
- It won't hurt to double-check the figures before the meeting.
- Despite being hurt by the betrayal, she chose to forgive.
- The government's austerity measures are hurting the most vulnerable in society.
- His pride was hurt more than his body after the fall.
- The artist's work explores themes of memory and hurt.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine saying 'Ouch!' when you HURT yourself. The word itself has a short, sharp sound, like a sudden pain.
Conceptual Metaphor
EMOTIONAL PAIN IS PHYSICAL PAIN (e.g., 'a hurtful remark', 'a broken heart').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid overusing 'pain' as a verb. In English, 'hurt' is the default verb for 'испытывать боль' or 'причинять боль'.
- Do not confuse 'hurt' (general pain/injury) with 'ache' (dull, persistent pain, e.g., headache).
- The adjective 'hurt' (Он был hurt) can sound emotionally charged; 'upset' or 'offended' might be more neutral.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect past tense: 'hurted' (correct: hurt).
- Using 'hurt' as a noun for emotional pain is less common than 'pain' or 'hurt feelings'.
- Overusing the reflexive unnecessarily: 'I hurt myself' vs. 'I hurt my arm' (the latter is more natural for specific injuries).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following sentences uses 'hurt' INCORRECTLY?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is irregular. The base form, past simple, and past participle are all 'hurt' (hurt-hurt-hurt).
Yes. It can mean 'to be detrimental to' non-living things like chances, profits, or reputation (e.g., 'The rain hurt attendance at the event').
'Hurt' is the most general (physical/emotional). 'Injure' is more formal and typically physical, often implying specific damage. 'Wound' usually implies a break in the skin (cut, gunshot) and can be emotional/literary.
Yes, especially in American English, to express ongoing emotional or physical pain (e.g., 'I'm still hurting from the loss'). It is grammatically sound but somewhat informal.
Collections
Part of a collection
Body and Health
A1 · 49 words · Parts of the body and basic health vocabulary.
Health and Body
A2 · 48 words · Talking about health, illness and medical care.