Word
injure
Phoneticsin·jure, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈɪndʒɝ/
UK/ˈɪndʒɐ/
Definitions
01physical harm
B1 · Intermediate
v. to hurt a person or animal physically, especially in an accident.
v. to cause physical harm or bodily damage to a living being, typically through an external force or accident.
“He managed to injure his knee while playing football last weekend.”
“The blast was powerful enough to injure several bystanders who were standing across the street from the construction site.”
02damage to something abstract
B2 · Upper Intermediate Formal · Academic
v. to damage something that is not physical, like a reputation or a business.
v. to impair, damage, or negatively affect an abstract entity such as a reputation, career, or legal standing.
“The scandal could seriously injure the company's reputation in the international market.”
“Legal experts argued that the new policy would unfairly injure the rights of small business owners in the region.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “injure” in context.
Verb
01. injure a leg
“The player had to leave the field after he injured a leg.”
verb + noun
02. injure your back
“Be careful when lifting heavy boxes so you don't injure your back.”
verb + possessive + noun
03. injure yourself in a fall
“It is easy to injure yourself in a fall on the icy sidewalk.”
verb + noun + prep + noun
Adverb
04. accidentally injure
“He accidentally injured his hand while using the kitchen knife.”
adv + verb
05. badly injure
“She badly injured her knee while playing soccer.”
adv + verb
06. seriously injure
“The driver was seriously injured in the car accident.”
adv + verb
Usage
The verb is transitive and requires a direct object; it is frequently used in the passive voice.
Pitfall
He injured from the accident
He was injured in the accident
Injure is transitive; if there is no direct object performing the action, use the passive voice.
Etymology
A back-formation from injury, from Anglo-Norman injurie, from Latin iniūria (“injustice; wrong; offense”), from in- (“not”) + iūs, iūris (“right, law”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B1 · IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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