# hurting

/ˈhɝtɪŋ/ (US) · /hˈɜːtɪŋ/ (UK)

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

## Senses

### 1. causing or feeling pain

verb · CEFR A2

the continuous form of 'hurt', used when someone is feeling pain right now.

For teachers: the present participle of 'hurt', used to describe ongoing physical pain or emotional distress.

- My legs are still hurting after that long walk in the park yesterday.
- The patient reported that his lower back had been hurting consistently since the heavy lifting incident last Tuesday.

Usage: Often used in progressive tenses to describe a state of discomfort.

### 2. the feeling of pain

noun · CEFR B1

a feeling of physical pain or emotional sadness.

For teachers: a sensation of physical or psychological distress. Often used as a gerund to describe the experience of suffering.

- You could see the hurting in her eyes when she spoke about her old dog.
- The therapist focused on the deep emotional hurting that the client had suppressed for several years following the accident.

## Examples

- There was a lot of hurting in the community after the factory closed.
- The counselor spent years helping people deal with the deep hurting caused by their past experiences.
- The novel explores the generational hurting that persists long after a conflict has ended, showing how silence can sometimes deepen the wound.

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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.