injury
Americannoun
-
harm or damage that is done or sustained.
to escape without injury.
- Synonyms:
- mischief, impairment, ruin, destruction
- Antonyms:
- benefit
-
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
-
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:
Halpern quit baseball in college after an injury and the realization that he’d never make the majors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
Within an hour and a half, a San Bernardino County firefighter suffered a terrain-related injury and was hospitalized, said Chloe Castillo, public information officer with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
“This condition, if not addressed, could result in injury to passengers and crew during an emergency landing or could block the aisle, which could slow evacuation.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
She pulled out of the uneven bars on Monday as she rested a shoulder injury.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
“Injury to one is an injury to all!” she said.
From "Fannie Never Flinched" by Mary Cronk Farrell
A senior Jordanian government official said five missiles were intercepted in Jordan’s eastern desert and caused no injuries or material damage.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Eight people were rescued from the mall, five of whom had injuries, a local official told AFP.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
Ironically, Chris Simms, Florio’s podcast co-host and a close friend and former college teammate of the 49ers coach, provided details about Shanahan’s injuries and his family’s reaction.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
A Virgin Atlantic engineer has died nearly a month after sustaining injuries while carrying out maintenance work on a commercial airplane at Heathrow Airport.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Alfhercht pulled the bubble top shut, blocking out the falling dust and rocks, and the group went as fast as they could with their various injuries.
From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack
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.
