injury
Americannoun
-
injuries
plural
-
harm or damage that is done or sustained.
to escape without injury.
- Synonyms:
- mischief, impairment, ruin, destruction
- Antonyms:
- benefit
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a particular form or instance of harm.
an injury to one's shoulder; an injury to one's pride.
-
wrong or injustice done or suffered.
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Law. any wrong or violation of the rights, property, reputation, etc., of another for which legal action to recover damages may be made.
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Obsolete. injurious speech; calumny.
noun
-
physical damage or hurt
-
a specific instance of this
a leg injury
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harm done to a reputation
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law a violation or infringement of another person's rights that causes him harm and is actionable at law
-
an obsolete word for insult
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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
Vocabulary lists containing injury
You Be the Judge: Jud, Jur, Jus
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Negatives with "in"
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That Hurts! Synonyms for "Pain"
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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.
See Examples For:
Projected starting center Kilian O’Connor suffered a non-contact injury during USC’s camp practice Wednesday and will be out for the rest of the season, Riley announced.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
He was selected in the England T20 squad the year before for their series against New Zealand, but was then ruled out through injury.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
Let’s say this up front: A wrist on the racket hand isn’t the sort of injury to be trifled with.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
But his death was an intimate injury to his loved ones first and foremost.
From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026
He had seen it happen before; if his mother showed concern about a small injury, Abby practically got hysterical, but if Mom acted like it was no big deal, Abby relaxed, too.
From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret
They suffered non life-threatening injuries, were all rescued and were transported to a local hospital.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
They were taken to hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening or life-changing.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
Dr. Mary K. Mulcahey, chief of sports medicine at Loyola University Medical Center, who specializes in shoulder and knee injuries, said AI would likely have a hard time distinguishing between different types of meniscus tears.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
Dayanara Nicole Urbina Ruiz, 21, died July 30 from blunt-force trauma injuries in what local officials have ruled an accident, according to the King County medical examiner’s office.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
He did not sit or attempt to touch his own injuries.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
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.
