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.
-
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:
“Today is my second birthday,” he thought about an injury that at the time seemed a big deal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
That aspect of the work is being explored by doctoral student Zaza Gelashvili, MS, who studies how cells detect mechanical forces associated with tissue injury.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 5, 2026
That focus on quarterback protection helped Eck weather a crisis before New Mexico’s season even began, when presumed starter Jack Layne was ruled out for the year with an injury to his throwing elbow.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
He has also lost four of his past five matches against Alcaraz, who missed large parts of the season with a wrist injury.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
The chief danger that threatened them, he said, was that they might do some injury to the oxen of the Sun when they reached the island where they lived.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
Kuprianchuk, the doctor, said a confluence of factors had served to help prevent his injuries becoming fatal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
Ma works in the laboratory of cell biologist Philipp Niethammer, PhD, whose research examines how cells respond to injuries, infections, and other forms of stress.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 5, 2026
The parked car was unoccupied, and no injuries were reported.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026
Paul, the social media influencer turned professional fighter, said in May his boxing career was "most definitely" in doubt after the injuries he sustained against Joshua.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
For a second, he wondered if things would be different if Coach Dub passed away from his injuries.
From "The Parker Inheritance" by Varian Johnson
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
