injury
Americannoun
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harm or damage that is done or sustained.
to escape without injury.
- Synonyms:
- mischief, impairment, ruin, destruction
- Antonyms:
- benefit
-
a particular form or instance of harm.
an injury to one's shoulder; an injury to one's pride.
-
wrong or injustice done or suffered.
-
Law. any wrong or violation of the rights, property, reputation, etc., of another for which legal action to recover damages may be made.
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Obsolete. injurious speech; calumny.
noun
-
physical damage or hurt
-
a specific instance of this
a leg injury
-
harm done to a reputation
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law a violation or infringement of another person's rights that causes him harm and is actionable at law
-
an obsolete word for insult
Synonym Usage
Injury, hurt, wound refer to impairments or wrongs. Injury, originally denoting a wrong done or suffered, is hence used for any kind of evil, impairment, or loss, caused or sustained: physical injury; injury to one's reputation. Hurt suggests especially physical injury, often bodily injury attended with pain: a bad hurt from a fall. A wound is usually a physical hurt caused by cutting, shooting, etc., or an emotional hurt: a serious wound in the shoulder; to inflict a wound by betraying someone's trust.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of injury
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English injurie, from Latin injūria “unlawful conduct, injustice,” equivalent to in- in- 3 + jūr-, stem of jūs “right, law” ( see jus, just 1) + -ia -ia
Explanation
Injury is a noun with several similar meanings, all involving physical harm or wrongdoing. If you’re not careful, your reckless bike riding could result in a crash that causes injury. Injury often refers to physical damage, but it can be used more figuratively to describe something that's unjust or that causes harm that isn't physical. For example, your estranged grandfather might do you the injury of leaving you out of his will. The word injury comes from in-, meaning “not,” and the Latin root ius or iur, meaning “right.” So an injury is something that's not right — it's something that has gone wrong that leads to damage.
Vocabulary lists containing injury
You Be the Judge: Jud, Jur, Jus
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Negatives with "in"
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That Hurts! Synonyms for "Pain"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
He adds crucial nous after Villa's plans were thrown a curveball following Amadou Onana's serious knee injury.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
The Puerto Rican said he was recovering from injury but "probably wouldn't have gone anyways."
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
“A few seconds of online attention isn’t worth a criminal record, a serious injury, or worse,” the department said in the post.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
She watches her step, especially in the rain, to guard against injury.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
To add insult to injury, the FBI claimed in public that their success was due to their own code breakers.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
Both he and Musk also emphasized that the company is focused on safety, with Musk warning that any injuries could incur regulatory scrutiny.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
Joshua, who sustained minor injuries, is set to return to the ring against heavyweight Kristian Prenga on Saturday for his first contest since knocking out American YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul 10 days before the crash.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Lower limb injuries including sprains, bone damage and wear and tear of the tendons are common, he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
The driver sustained injuries not believed to be life-threatening, while the other passenger declined medical treatment.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
She got her injuries treated locally and refused to be hospitalized.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
