Dictionary

hurtful en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ˈhɜːtfʊl/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈhɜɹtfəl/ (General-American)
• /ˈhɜːtfəl/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈhɜɹtfʊl/ (General-American)

Etymology

From hurt + -ful.

Meanings

1. Tending to impair or damage; injurious; occasioning loss or injury.
   • A good principle not rightly understood may prove as hurtful as a bad. 1649, John Milton, Eikonoklastes:
   • Well-cultivated soils are often healthy; nor at present has it been proved that the use of manure is hurtful. 1890, George Henry Rohé, Text-book of hygiene:
2. Tending to hurt someone's feelings; insulting; lacerating.
   • This mentality made me an incredibly hurtful person, but I wasn't concerned with how others felt about me. 2012, Robin Leigh, Dear Dadd, page 38:
   • Both men and women can be emotionally abusive. Even in the healthiest relationships, people occasionally reach down into their personal bags of known remembrances, past disagreements, and unresolved issues, and fling hurtful comments at their partners. 2000, Michael Paymar, Violent No More:
   • She told CNN’s State of the Union show: “His [Donald Trump's] remarks, of course, have been hurtful … the most hurtful thing he said, which is absolutely untrue, is he called me a traitor and that is so extremely wrong.” 2025 November 16, Joanna Walters, quoting Marjorie Taylor Greene, “Marjorie Taylor Greene says Trump’s remarks hurtful but hopes they can make up”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
   • Better yet, maybe she should call and apologize for all of the rude comments she spewed in the midst of her anger—hurtful comments that should never be spoken between a wife and her husband. 2006, Ryan Phillips, Fall from Grace:

Forms

Deriveds

unhurtful

Relateds

hurtfulness · hurt · hurtfully

Synonyms

harmful · injurious · damaging · pernicious · harmful · noisome · inimical · hurtful · venom · deleterious · scathel · nocuous · noxious · scathand · sullen · nocent · detrimental · mischievous · prejudicial

Translations (33)

hu káros (tending to impair or damage) · fi ilkeä (tending to hurt someone's feelings) · fi pahantahtoinen (tending to hurt someone's feelings) · bg обиден (tending to hurt someone's feelings) · bg вреден (tending to impair or damage) · hi अपकारी (tending to impair or damage) · grc βλαπτικός (tending to impair or damage) · hu bántó (tending to hurt someone's feelings) · es hiriente (tending to impair or damage) · es hiriente (tending to hurt someone's feelings) · mi hākiki (tending to hurt someone's feelings) · ru обидный (tending to hurt someone's feelings) · la noxius (tending to impair or damage) · ro dăunător (tending to impair or damage) · fi pahansuopa (tending to hurt someone's feelings) · hi अहितकर (tending to impair or damage) · pdt schätlich (tending to impair or damage) · pl krzywdzący (tending to hurt someone's feelings) · hu ártalmas (tending to impair or damage) · es heridor (tending to hurt someone's feelings) · hi हानिकारक (tending to impair or damage) · hu sértő (tending to hurt someone's feelings) · fi loukkaava (tending to hurt someone's feelings) · sa हिंस्र (tending to impair or damage) · fr blessant (tending to hurt someone's feelings) · nrf bliessant (tending to hurt someone's feelings) · es heridor (tending to impair or damage) · fi vahingollinen (tending to impair or damage) · mi whakamamae (tending to impair or damage) · ru вредный (tending to impair or damage) · es nocivo (tending to impair or damage) · ru пагубный (tending to impair or damage) · ro jignitor (tending to hurt someone's feelings)