# hurt

/ˈhɝt/ (US) · /hˈɜːt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/hurt
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. to cause physical pain

verb · CEFR A2

to cause physical pain or injury to a person or animal.

For teachers: to inflict physical pain or bodily injury upon a person or animal.

- Be careful with that knife or you might hurt yourself while cooking.
- The athlete was careful not to overextend his knee, fearing he might hurt himself again before the championship finals.

Usage: This verb is often used reflexively with 'myself', 'yourself', etc.

### 2. to feel pain

verb · CEFR A2

to feel pain in a part of your body.

For teachers: to be the source of physical pain; used in a stative sense to describe a bodily sensation.

- My feet really hurt after walking around the city all day.
- His lower back began to hurt intensely after he spent the afternoon moving heavy furniture into the new apartment.

Usage: Often used in the progressive 'is hurting' to describe a current sensation.

### 3. to upset someone

verb · CEFR B1

to make someone feel unhappy or upset.

For teachers: to cause emotional distress, sadness, or psychological pain to another person.

- I didn't mean to hurt your feelings when I criticized your painting.
- She was deeply hurt by his cold response to her news, as she had expected him to be supportive.

Usage: Commonly used in the phrase 'hurt someone's feelings'.

### 4. to damage or harm

verb · CEFR B2

to have a bad effect on something, like a business or a plan.

For teachers: to damage, impair, or have a negative impact on a situation, reputation, or entity.

- The high interest rates are starting to hurt small businesses in the area.
- The scandal significantly hurt the company's reputation, leading to a sharp decline in share prices over the following months.

### 5. injured or upset

adjective · CEFR B1

feeling physical pain or being emotionally upset.

For teachers: suffering from physical injury or emotional distress.

- He had a hurt expression on his face after they laughed at his idea.
- The medic tended to the hurt passengers while waiting for more ambulances to arrive at the scene.

Usage: Can be used before a noun or after a linking verb like 'feel'.

### 6. emotional pain

noun · CEFR B2

a feeling of unhappiness because of something bad that happened.

For teachers: psychological suffering or the feeling of being treated unfairly or unkindly.

- It took many years for her to get over the hurt of the divorce.
- The poem captures the deep hurt and betrayal felt by the soldiers who returned to a country that had forgotten them.

Usage: Usually uncountable when referring to a general state of distress.

## Examples

- She feels a lot of hurt from his words.
- The hurt from the breakup was still fresh, making it hard for him to trust anyone new.
- He learned that acknowledging the hurt caused by past events was the first step toward healing, rather than pretending the pain didn't exist.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.