injure
Americanverb
-
to cause physical or mental harm or suffering to; hurt or wound
-
to offend, esp by an injustice
Related Words
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.
Other Word Forms
- injurable adjective
- injured adjective
- injurer noun
- quasi-injured adjective
- reinjure verb (used with object)
- uninjured adjective
- uninjuring adjective
Etymology
Origin of injure
1575–85; back formation from injury (noun); replacing injury (verb)
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.
The festival is offering a space to do these shows, but also for an audience to have the night out and trust that the show is not going to injure you.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026
Elvis put a shin pad under his pants leg, and I took a couple of practice shots—until he was sure I wouldn’t miss and injure him.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026
Zubaydah alleged that London was "vicariously liable" for multiple wrongs against him, including conspiracy to injure, false imprisonment and negligence.
From Barron's • Jan. 12, 2026
However, artificial light can be classed as a statutory nuisance if it "interferes with the use or enjoyment of a home" or is likely to "injure health".
From BBC • Dec. 17, 2025
Maggie worried, writing Elisha, “all this talk for and against cannot fail to injure you, as well as myself.”
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
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.
