hurtful

[hurt-fuhl]

adjective

1. causing hurt or injury; injurious; harmful.

   Synonyms: noxious, pernicious, destructive

hurtful

/ ˈhɜːtfʊl /

adjective

1. causing distress or injury

   to say hurtful things

Other Word Forms

• hurtfully adverb
• hurtfulness noun
• unhurtful adjective
• unhurtfully adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of hurtful¹

First recorded in 1520–30; hurt + -ful

Example Sentences

Because, as you said, the money is annoying, but the mindset your “friend” holds is the more hurtful piece of this.

Read more on MarketWatch

“Our babies sometimes say hurtful things,” she said.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Asked whether he had perhaps said things to fellow pupils that he had not intended to be hurtful or racist, but they took it that way, he said: "I hope not."

Read more on BBC

The last few weeks have been particularly hurtful, she said, when she sees commenters on social media deriding food stamp recipients as “lazy.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

I think that assuming can be hurtful too.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• damaging 
• dangerous 
• destructive 
• detrimental 
• distressing www.thesaurus.com
• harmful 
• malicious 
• nasty 
• pernicious 
• prejudicial 
• unkind 
• upsetting