wound
- 01 B1 Intermediate
n.an injury to your body, especially one where your skin is cut or broken.
n.an injury involving a division of the skin or flesh, typically caused by a weapon or impact.
Simple“The nurse cleaned the wound on his leg and covered it with a bandage.”
In context“The surgeon examined the abdominal wound to ensure that no vital organs had been compromised by the shrapnel.”
UsageOften used with verbs like 'inflict', 'clean', or 'dress'.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a feeling of deep sadness or anger caused by someone's unkind words or actions.
n.a psychological or emotional trauma; a lasting feeling of distress resulting from a negative experience.
Simple“It took a long time for the emotional wounds of the divorce to heal.”
In context“The harsh criticism left a deep wound in his professional pride, affecting his confidence for years to come.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to hurt a person or animal by cutting or breaking their skin.
v.to inflict a physical injury upon a living subject, typically involving a breach of the skin.
Simple“Several soldiers were wounded during the battle and taken to the hospital.”
In context“The suspect was wounded in the shoulder during the pursuit, though the injury was later classified as non-life-threatening.”
UsageFrequently used in the passive voice, especially in military or news contexts.
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to say or do something that makes someone feel very upset or offended.
v.to cause emotional pain or to offend someone's pride or sensibilities.
Simple“She was deeply wounded by his comments about her appearance.”
In context“He was visibly wounded by the board's decision to reject his proposal without a formal hearing.”
Usage wound healing
“Another family member had a wound on his arm.”
“Now, their chance to finally close a painful and long-standing wound has never been better.”
Noun from Middle English wund, from Old English wund, from Proto-Germanic wundō. Verb from Middle English wunden, from Old English wundian, from Proto-Germanic wundōną.
See wind (Etymology 2)
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.