wound

¹ American  

[woond, wound] / wund, waʊnd /

noun

• wounds
  plural

1. an injury, usually involving division of tissue or rupture of the integument or mucous membrane, due to external violence or some mechanical agency rather than disease.

   Synonyms:

   trauma, lesion, laceration, stab, cut

2. a similar injury to the tissue of a plant.

3. an injury or hurt to feelings, sensibilities, reputation, etc.

   Synonyms:

   anguish, pain, insult

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verb (used with object)

1. to inflict a wound upon; injure; hurt.

   Synonyms:

   lacerate, stab, cut, damage, harm

verb (used without object)

1. to inflict a wound.

idioms

1. lick one's wounds, to attempt to heal one's injuries or soothe one's hurt feelings after a defeat.

wound ² American  

[wound] / waʊnd /

verb

1. a simple past tense and past participle of wind and wind.

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wound ¹ British  

/ wuːnd /

noun

1. any break in the skin or an organ or part as the result of violence or a surgical incision

2. an injury to plant tissue

3. any injury or slight to the feelings or reputation

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verb

1. to inflict a wound or wounds upon (someone or something)

wound ² British  

/ waʊnd /

verb

1. the past tense and past participle of wind 2

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wound More Idioms  

1. see lick one's wounds; rub in (salt into a wound).

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Synonym Usage

See injury.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• wounder
  noun
• woundable
  adjective
• wounding
  adjective
• woundless
  adjective
• woundedly
  adverb
• woundingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• wounds
  plural

Etymology

Origin of wound

First recorded before 900; (noun) Middle English; Old English wund; cognate with Old High German wunta ( German Wunde ), Old Norse und, Gothic wunds; (verb) Middle English wounden, Old English wundian, derivative of the noun

Explanation

A wound is a serious injury, especially a deep cut through the skin. But things like pride and feelings can also get wounded. Wounds are serious: we're talking a lot worse than just a scrape or booboo. Just about all the meanings of this word have to do with being hurt. If you got stabbed, you got a stab wound. Soldiers in battle get a lot of wounds from enemies. If someone told you to shut up, they might wound your feelings. If you slipped in a puddle in front of your friends, that might wound your pride.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

wound wounds

Flock also lost a deal with Ring after a Super Bowl commercial for Amazon’s smart doorbell company wound up sparking fears of a “surveillance nightmare.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

Achim said he managed to tie a rope above his leg wound and the crew called emergency services.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

They also believe that learning more about the local activity of C3 could improve understanding of other biological processes, including wound healing and the regulation of inflammation.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 8, 2026

"Once there's enough energy wound up in the higher layers, it can then be released, as a flare or what's known as a coronal mass ejection," he said.

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026

For six or seven miles the trail wound through the wreckage of downed trees and broken limbs.

From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen

His subsequent research showed that these precursor cells multiply dramatically around the edges of brain wounds.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 14, 2026

Thongchai, who was chairman of the Nonthaburi local government administration, later died of his wounds, according to Sakon Sukprom, director of Phra Nang Klao hospital.

From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026

The report from a pest control company said it could put people and animals with open wounds at risk of contracting disease.

From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026

“Sheep in the Box” suggests that, not long from now, these psychic wounds may be poked anew.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

These, supplemented by the stouter arrows of the fieldmice and the otter slingers, caused many wounds and great discomfort to the would-be attackers, pinning a good number of them down.

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques

Related Words

• bruise
• cut
• damage
• grief
• laceration
• lesion
• pain
• shock
• trauma