hurtful

adjective

hurt·​ful ˈhərt-fəl How to pronounce hurtful (audio)
: causing injury, detriment, or suffering : damaging
hurtfully adverb
hurtfulness noun

Examples of hurtful in a Sentence

She can't forgive him for the hurtful things he said. Their comments were really hurtful to me.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
However, even worse than saying nothing about taxes is a settlement agreement that is affirmatively hurtful about taxes. Robert W. Wood, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024 Jurado has dismissed the controversy as a distraction, despite criticism from the police chief, some council members, the police union and family members of LAPD police officers, who say her words were hurtful to them and the department’s more than 10,000 employees. David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2024 There is no doubt that Latinas are given a huge burden to deal with in U.S. society, and that cheating is a hurtful action, even a disrespectful one. Nicole Froio, refinery29.com, 29 Oct. 2024 The Republican governor has pushed back on the recent national focus on the town, saying the spread of false rumors has been hurtful for the community. Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 18 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hurtful 

Word History

First Known Use

1526, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hurtful was in 1526

Dictionary Entries Near hurtful

Cite this Entry

“Hurtful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hurtful. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

hurtful

adjective
hurt·​ful ˈhərt-fəl How to pronounce hurtful (audio)
: causing injury or suffering : damaging
hurtfully adverb
hurtfulness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on hurtful

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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