hurt
4 ENTRIES FOUND:
hurts;
hurt;
hurting
hurts;
hurt;
hurting
Britannica Dictionary definition of HURT
1
a
[+ object]
:
to cause pain or injury to (yourself, someone else, or a part of your body)
-
Be careful with that knife or you could hurt yourself.
-
Ouch! You're hurting my arm!
-
I hurt my back (while) carrying a heavy box up the stairs.
-
She was badly/seriously hurt in a car accident.
-
My tooth/back still hurts me.
-
Don't worry about the dog—he wouldn't hurt a fly. [=the dog would never bite or attack anyone; the dog is very gentle]
b
[no object]
:
to be a source or cause of pain
-
My tooth/back hurts (a lot/little).
-
It hurts [=it is painful] to walk on hot pavement with bare feet.
-
The injection didn't hurt at all. = It didn't hurt a bit.
-
Ouch! That hurts!
-
My arm hurts very badly. = (informally) My arm hurts like hell.
-
My leg hurt. = (chiefly US) My leg was hurting.
c
[no object]
:
to feel physical pain
-
When I woke up this morning I hurt all over.
2
a
[+ object]
:
to make (someone) sad or upset
:
to cause (someone) to suffer emotionally
-
Their lack of interest in her work hurt her deeply.
-
You're only hurting yourself by holding a grudge against them.
-
It hurt me to see her go.
-
It hurts me to say this [=I don't enjoy saying this], but I just don't think you can do the job.
-
I can't tell him the meal was bad because I don't want to hurt his feelings. [=hurt him; make him sad or upset]
b
[no object]
:
to feel emotional pain or distress
-
My sister has really been hurting [=has been very upset and unhappy] since her boyfriend left her.
3
:
to do harm to (someone or something)
:
to affect (someone or something) in a bad or harmful way
:
damage
— usually used in negative statements
[+ object]
-
The lack of rain has hurt the corn crop.
-
If we lose this game it will seriously hurt our chances of making the play-offs.
-
These new regulations will hurt small businesses.
-
hurt profits/sales
-
There's no doubt that this scandal has hurt her image.
-
Would it hurt you to cook dinner for once? = It wouldn't hurt you to cook dinner for once. [=you should cook dinner]
-
As far as he's concerned, what he doesn't know can't/won't hurt him. [=he would rather not know about something; he thinks that if he does not know about something, he cannot be damaged by it, blamed for it, etc.]
[no object]
-
The company needs to cut spending, even if it hurts.
-
I know he's qualified for the job, but it doesn't hurt [=it helps] that the company president is his mother's best friend.
-
It wouldn't hurt to try a little harder. [=you should try a little harder]
-
We may not finish on time, but it won't hurt to try. [=we should try]
-
“Should I ask her for a job?” “It couldn't/can't hurt (to ask).” [=she may give you a job if you ask]
4
[no object]
:
to have many problems
:
to be in a bad situation or condition
-
Those poor people are hurting and need our help.
-
The local economy is hurting right now. [=it is doing poorly]
hurt for
[phrasal verb] US, informal
1
hurt for (something)
:
to lack (something needed)
-
Those children are hurting for attention. [=those children need to be given more attention]
-
The company is hurting for money right now.
2
hurt for (someone)
:
to have sympathy or pity for (someone)
-
I hurt for [=feel for] those poor people.
2
hurt
/ˈhɚt/
adjective
2
hurt
/ˈhɚt/
adjective
Britannica Dictionary definition of HURT
[more hurt; most hurt]
1
:
having a physical injury
-
Those who are most badly/seriously hurt [=injured] will be cared for first.
-
She has a hurt back.
2
:
feeling or showing emotional pain
-
She gave him a hurt look.
-
hurt [=wounded] pride
-
I was/felt deeply hurt by their refusal to help. [=I was very sad or upset because they refused to help]
-
His behavior at the party caused a lot of hurt feelings. [=it made many people upset or sad]
3
hurt
/ˈhɚt/
noun
plural
hurts
3
hurt
/ˈhɚt/
noun
plural
hurts
Britannica Dictionary definition of HURT
:
mental or emotional pain
[noncount]
-
Her sympathy eased the hurt he felt after his dog's death.
-
It takes a long time to get past the hurt [=suffering] of a bitter divorce.
[count]
-
They felt a great hurt after their bitter divorce.
-
She tried to put past hurts behind her.
put the/a hurt on
US, informal
:
to injure or damage (someone or something)
-
If we adopt a more aggressive strategy, we can really put the hurt on our competitors.
-
They really put a hurt on him. [=hurt/injured him very badly]
