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hurt
/hɜːrt/
cause or feel pain
His feet hurt after walking through the city all day.
His feet are causing him physical pain because he walked for a long time.
informal
To feel physical pain, or to cause physical injury or pain to someone or something.
She hurt her ankle while playing soccer.
She injured her ankle during a soccer match.
My head hurts from reading in low light.
I am experiencing pain in my head because of poor lighting.
Can be used both transitively ('hurt something') and intransitively ('something hurts').
informal
To cause distress, sadness, or emotional pain to a person.
His unkind words really hurt her feelings.
His rude remarks made her feel upset and offended.
Often paired with the noun 'feelings'.
formal
To cause damage, harm, or negative consequences to a situation, process, or economy.
High interest rates could hurt small businesses this year.
Increased interest costs might cause financial harm to smaller companies.
Collocations
badly hurtseriously injured or painedhurt feelingscause emotional distresswouldn't hurt towould be beneficial or recommended to trydeeply hurtextremely upset or offended
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Choosing Between 'Hurt', 'Injure', and 'Pain'
Use 'hurt' for general physical or emotional pain ('My arm hurts', 'You hurt my feelings'). Use 'injure' primarily for physical harm caused by accidents, sports, or violence ('He injured his shoulder'). Use 'pain' mostly as a noun ('I feel pain') rather than a verb in modern speech.
Word Origin
Originates from Middle English 'hurten' (to stumble, dash against, or injure), derived from Old French 'heurter' (to collide with or ram).
Usage Notes
The verb 'hurt' is irregular: base form 'hurt', past tense 'hurt', and past participle 'hurt'. Never add '-ed' to make 'hurted'. Additionally, note the grammar distinction between physical condition ('I am hurt' - adjective) and the action ('I hurt my arm' - active verb).
English Dictionary