wound

¹ American  

[woond, waund] / wund, waʊnd /

noun

• wounds
  plural

1. an injury, usually involving division of tissue or rupture of the integument or mucous membrane, due to external violence or some mechanical agency rather than disease.

   Synonyms:

   trauma, lesion, laceration, stab, cut

2. a similar injury to the tissue of a plant.

3. an injury or hurt to feelings, sensibilities, reputation, etc.

   Synonyms:

   anguish, pain, insult

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verb (used with object)

1. to inflict a wound upon; injure; hurt.

   Synonyms:

   lacerate, stab, cut, damage, harm

verb (used without object)

1. to inflict a wound.

idioms

1. lick one's wounds, to attempt to heal one's injuries or soothe one's hurt feelings after a defeat.

wound ² American  

[waund] / waʊnd /

verb

1. a simple past tense and past participle of wind and wind.

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wound ¹ British  

/ wuːnd /

noun

1. any break in the skin or an organ or part as the result of violence or a surgical incision

2. an injury to plant tissue

3. any injury or slight to the feelings or reputation

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verb

1. to inflict a wound or wounds upon (someone or something)

wound ² British  

/ waʊnd /

verb

1. the past tense and past participle of wind 2

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wound More Idioms  

1. see lick one's wounds; rub in (salt into a wound).

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Synonym Usage

See injury.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• wounder
  noun
• woundable
  adjective
• wounding
  adjective
• woundless
  adjective
• woundedly
  adverb
• woundingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• wounds
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of wound

First recorded before 900; (noun) Middle English; Old English wund; cognate with Old High German wunta ( German Wunde ), Old Norse und, Gothic wunds; (verb) Middle English wounden, Old English wundian, derivative of the noun

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Explanation

A wound is a serious injury, especially a deep cut through the skin. But things like pride and feelings can also get wounded. Wounds are serious: we're talking a lot worse than just a scrape or booboo. Just about all the meanings of this word have to do with being hurt. If you got stabbed, you got a stab wound. Soldiers in battle get a lot of wounds from enemies. If someone told you to shut up, they might wound your feelings. If you slipped in a puddle in front of your friends, that might wound your pride.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

wound wounds

These differences are regulated by sex hormones and could eventually help scientists develop more personalized treatments for wound healing and skin diseases.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 18, 2026

The officer is now being treated for a wound to his foot, the force said.

From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026

International Monetary Fund chief Kristalina Georgieva said on Saturday this year's Annual Meetings with global policymakers were marked by "optimism and worry" about the global economic outlook as the event wound down in Bangkok.

From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026

She wound up burning what she had been cooking.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

Then I turned to the road that wound around the coast like a ball of yarn let loose.

From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff

When researchers examined wounds on the animals' backs, they found that wounds closed substantially faster in females, particularly during the first few days after injury.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 18, 2026

“There was a shift, because there are wounds from both places,” she says.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

The Good Friday Agreement peace agreement "is still a shining example of what can happen when people put aside old wounds and choose peace," he told university staff and students.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

One particularly promising application involves chronic wounds and ulcers, which can be difficult to treat because of persistent inflammation, bacterial contamination, and damage caused by oxidative stress.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026

“I’m not talking about your physical wounds, boy.”

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

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Related Words

• bruise
• cut
• damage
• grief
• laceration
• lesion
• pain
• shock
• trauma

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