injury

American  

[in-juh-ree] / ˈɪn dʒə ri /

noun

injuries plural

1. harm or damage that is done or sustained.

   to escape without injury.

   Synonyms:

   mischief, impairment, ruin, destruction

   Antonyms:

   benefit

2. a particular form or instance of harm.

   an injury to one's shoulder; an injury to one's pride.

3. wrong or injustice done or suffered.

4. Law. any wrong or violation of the rights, property, reputation, etc., of another for which legal action to recover damages may be made.

5. Obsolete. injurious speech; calumny.

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injury British  

/ ˈɪndʒərɪ /

noun

1. physical damage or hurt

2. a specific instance of this

   a leg injury

3. harm done to a reputation

4. law a violation or infringement of another person's rights that causes him harm and is actionable at law

5. an obsolete word for insult

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injury Idioms  

1. see add insult to injury.

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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

• noninjury
  noun
• reinjury
  noun
• self-injury
  noun

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.

Example Sentences

Injury row, yacht trip & petition - what's going on with Mbappe?

From BBC • May 8, 2026

Injury and death rates did not rise during the week to month after payments were distributed, which usually occurs in the fall.

From Science Daily • Feb. 16, 2026

Injury then gave Marcus Smith the chance to supplant Ford in the pecking order on the 2024 tour of New Zealand, before Fin Smith emerged in last year's Six Nations.

From BBC • Feb. 11, 2026

Injury kept Macario off the team that struck gold in the Paris Olympics, Hayes’ first tournament as coach, while forwards Sophia Wilson and Mallory Swanson have been on maternity leave since the Olympics.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 20, 2026

One Dog, upon which the Experiment succeeded, had been known, for three Months before, to devour greedily the corrupted Flesh of infected Persons, and Pledgets taken off from Pestilential Ulcers, without receiving any Injury.

From A Discourse on the Plague by Mead, Richard

Related Words

• abuse
• bruise
• burn
• cramp
• cut
• damage
• fracture
• laceration
• loss
• scar
• shock
• sore
• sprain
• suffering
• swelling
• trauma
• wound