hurt
Americanverb (used with object)
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to cause bodily injury to; injure.
He was badly hurt in the accident.
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to cause bodily pain to or in.
The wound still hurts him.
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to damage or decrease the efficiency of (a material object) by striking, rough use, improper care, etc..
Moths can't hurt this suit because it's mothproof.
Dirty oil can hurt a car's engine.
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to affect adversely; harm.
to hurt one's reputation;
It wouldn't hurt the lawn if you watered it more often.
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to cause mental pain to; offend or grieve.
She hurt his feelings by not asking him to the party.
verb (used without object)
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to feel or suffer bodily or mental pain or distress.
My back still hurts.
- Synonyms:
- ache
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to cause bodily or mental pain or distress.
The blow to his pride hurt most.
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to cause injury, damage, or harm.
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to suffer want or need.
noun
adjective
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physically injured.
The hurt child was taken to the hospital.
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offended; unfavorably affected.
hurt pride.
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suggesting that one has been offended or is suffering in mind.
Take that hurt look off your face!
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damaged.
hurt merchandise.
verb
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to cause physical pain to (someone or something)
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to cause emotional pain or distress to (someone)
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to produce a painful sensation in (someone)
the bruise hurts
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informal (intr) to feel pain
noun
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physical, moral, or mental pain or suffering
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a wound, cut, or sore
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damage or injury; harm
adjective
noun
Usage
And is hurted in the dictionary? Hurted is not listed as a word in this dictionary. It’s not used as the standard past tense of hurt, nor is it commonly used in any other way. (General note: Just because a word doesn’t appear in the dictionary doesn’t necessarily mean it’s “not a word.” Some people may use it, and if enough people eventually start using it, it may be added to the dictionary.)
What’s the past tense of hurt?
The past tense of hurt is simply hurt. Example: I hurt my arm yesterday. Because the past tense is not formed with -ed, it’s an example of an irregular verb. Like hurt, the past tense form of many other irregular verbs is the same as the present tense. Many common ones are also short words that end in t, such as set, hit, cut, shut, put, and quit.Related Words
See injury.
Other Word Forms
- hurtable adjective
- hurter noun
- unhurt adjective
- unhurting adjective
Etymology
Origin of hurt
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English verb hurten, hirten, herten “to injure, damage, stumble, knock together,” apparently from Old French hurter “to knock (against), oppose” (compare French heurter, originally dialectal), probably a verbal derivative of Frankish unattested hûrt “ram,” cognate with Old Norse hrūtr; noun derivative of the verb
Explanation
If you have a party and no one shows up, you will probably feel hurt: emotionally injured by what's happened. Hurt comes from the Old French hurte, meaning "collision," or "blow." We still have that violent sense in our word hurtle but we use hurt for a whole range of pains. If you stub your toe, it hurts, and if someone is beating you up you might say, "Stop hurting me!" Someone injured in battle or in sports is described as hurt. If you say something you shouldn't on live radio, you'll hurt your chances of winning an election.
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.
"I am dumbstruck. I feel deeply hurt and insulted. How can they conduct the elections without solving our disputes? I simply have no idea who to seek justice from," Ali told the BBC.
From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026
But he fears such “silly resolutions” could hurt the development of prediction markets and prevent big investors from adopting them.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026
In addition, potential employers and landlords may check your credit, and having a low score could hurt your chances of getting a job.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 11, 2026
“I don’t know what was running through my mind other than not hurt anybody.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026
And always at these meetings I spoke of Betsie’s first vision: of a home here in Holland where those who had been hurt could learn to live again unafraid.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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.
