hurtful

[ hurt-fuhl ]

adjective

1. causing hurt or injury; injurious; harmful.

   Synonyms: noxious, pernicious, destructive

hurtful

/ ˈhɜːtfʊl /

adjective

1. causing distress or injury

   to say hurtful things

Derived Forms

• ˈhurtfulness, noun
• ˈhurtfully, adverb

Other Words From

• hurtful·ly adverb
• hurtful·ness noun
• un·hurtful adjective
• un·hurtful·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of hurtful¹

First recorded in 1520–30; hurt + -ful

Example Sentences

DeWitt said during our recent "Salon Talks" conversation how she channeled her own parenting experiences for the role, including what she's learned from her daughters about handling when "people say really hurtful things."

From Salon

“The lies that have been spewed about the Haitian community — about my community — have been disgusting, deeply hurtful and dangerous.”

From Los Angeles Times

When the writer finally saw it, he jokes he found it "very hurtful".

From BBC

Zac Shaw, a Paralympic visually impaired sprinter, called it "hurtful" and said it was part of a "wider issue" in how disabled athletes are treated.

From BBC

He has previously denied the allegations, calling them "very, very hurtful".

From BBC

Related Words

• damaging
• dangerous
• destructive
• detrimental
• distressing
• harmful
• malicious
• nasty
• pernicious
• prejudicial
• unkind
• upsetting