injury

American  

[in-juh-ree] / ˈɪn dʒə ri /

noun

injuries plural

1. harm or damage that is done or sustained.

   to escape without injury.

   Synonyms:

   mischief, impairment, ruin, destruction

   Antonyms:

   benefit

2. a particular form or instance of harm.

   an injury to one's shoulder; an injury to one's pride.

3. wrong or injustice done or suffered.

4. Law. any wrong or violation of the rights, property, reputation, etc., of another for which legal action to recover damages may be made.

5. Obsolete. injurious speech; calumny.

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injury British  

/ ˈɪndʒərɪ /

noun

1. physical damage or hurt

2. a specific instance of this

   a leg injury

3. harm done to a reputation

4. law a violation or infringement of another person's rights that causes him harm and is actionable at law

5. an obsolete word for insult

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injury Idioms  

1. see add insult to injury.

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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

• noninjury
  noun
• reinjury
  noun
• self-injury
  noun

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.

Example Sentences

An earlier version of this article incorrectly said Uplift acquired Dudley DeBosier Injury Lawyers.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026

Injury and high-level competition in the centres resulted in arguably the greatest England women's player being deployed on the ground as the team's water carrier.

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026

The study, "Injury and therapy in a human spinal cord organoid," was supported by the Center for Regenerative Nanomedicine at Northwestern University and a gift from the John Potocsnak Family for spinal cord injury research.

From Science Daily • Feb. 16, 2026

Injury kept Macario off the team that struck gold in the Paris Olympics, Hayes’ first tournament as coach, while forwards Sophia Wilson and Mallory Swanson have been on maternity leave since the Olympics.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 20, 2026

"Case of Laceration of the Ileum from External Injury."

From The History of the Medical Department of Transylvania University by Peter, Robert

Related Words

• abuse
• bruise
• burn
• cramp
• cut
• damage
• fracture
• laceration
• loss
• scar
• shock
• sore
• sprain
• suffering
• swelling
• trauma
• wound