English Reference
adjective · noun

wounded

adj. · n.
US /ˈwundɪd/ UK /wˈuːndɪd/ wound·ed

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate

    adj.hurt by a weapon or in an accident, often with a cut or a hole in the skin.

    adj.suffering from a physical injury, typically one involving a breach of the skin or tissue caused by an external weapon or force.

    Simple

    The wounded soldiers were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

    In context

    The medics worked tirelessly to stabilise the wounded survivors before the transport helicopters arrived at the crash site.

  2. 02 B2 Upper Intermediate

    adj.feeling upset or offended because someone was unkind to you.

    adj.suffering from emotional or psychological distress, often due to a perceived insult or betrayal.

    Simple

    He had a wounded look on his face after she criticised his work.

    In context

    She spoke in a wounded tone, clearly affected by the committee's sudden dismissal of her long-term project.

  3. 03 B2 Upper Intermediate

    n.people who have been hurt, especially in a war.

    n.a collective plural noun referring to people who have sustained injuries, particularly in a military or disaster context.

    Simple

    The wounded were moved away from the front lines as quickly as possible.

    In context

    International aid organisations prioritised the evacuation of the wounded, as the local clinics were no longer able to provide surgical care.

    Usage

    Always used with 'the' to refer to a group of people.

    the injuredcasualties
  4. 04 C2 Proficiency Technical Science

    adj.describes a tiny particle that has hit something and lost some of its energy.

    adj.referring to a particle that has undergone an inelastic collision, resulting in a change of state or energy loss.

    Simple

    The experiment tracked how the wounded particles moved after the collision.

    In context

    In high-energy physics, the wounded nucleon model is used to describe the participants in a heavy-ion collision.

Usage wounded others

Another airstrike hours later on a home in the town of Deir al-Zahrani killed two, wounded nine and covered the streets in rubble and smoke.

The Guardian· 15 Aug 2026

There, he shot dead five teachers and staff and wounded a 12-year-old girl who died in hospital on Saturday.

The Guardian· 12 Aug 2026
This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Common
Updated