injure

[ in-jer ]

verb (used with object)

, in·jured, in·jur·ing.

1. to do or cause harm of any kind to; damage; hurt; impair:

   to injure one's hand.

   Synonyms: mar, break, ruin, spoil

   Antonyms: benefit

2. to do wrong or injustice to.

   Synonyms: abuse, maltreat

3. to wound or offend:

   to injure a friend's feelings.

injure

/ ˈɪndʒə /

verb

1. to cause physical or mental harm or suffering to; hurt or wound
2. to offend, esp by an injustice

Derived Forms

• ˈinjured, adjective
• ˈinjurable, adjective
• ˈinjurer, noun

Other Words From

• injur·a·ble adjective
• injur·er noun
• quasi-injured adjective
• re·injure verb (used with object) reinjured reinjuring
• un·injured adjective
• un·injur·ing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of injure¹

1575–85; back formation from injury (noun); replacing injury (verb)

Word History and Origins

Origin of injure¹

C16: back formation from injury

Synonym Study

Injure, impair mean to harm or damage something. Injure is a general term referring to any kind or degree of damage: to injure one's spine; to injure one's reputation. To impair is to make imperfect in any way, often with a suggestion of progressive deterioration and of permanency in the result: One's health is impaired by overwork.

Example Sentences

This Christmas marks not quite two years since Renner was severely injured, almost dying after being crushed by a 7-ton snowplow.

From Los Angeles Times

They had found eight bodies - including three children and three women - and taken the many injured to hospitals; some were in a critical condition.

From BBC

Another widely-circulated post was written by a person who said their mother was badly injured in the attack and was currently warded in a hospital's intensive care unit.

From BBC

Several people were injured in an accident on California 99, and Pacific Gas & Electric reported outages for about 15,000 Fresno county residents as abnormally high winds kicked dust up into a menacing cloud.

From Los Angeles Times

A car ploughed into a crowd outside a stadium in the Chinese city of Zhuhai on Monday evening, injuring multiple people, police have said.

From BBC

Related Words

• batter
• break
• damage
• harm
• hurt
• maim
• mutilate
• torture
• wound