hurt feelings

plural noun

: unhappiness or sadness caused by someone's words or actions

His behavior at the party caused a lot of hurt feelings.

Examples of hurt feelings in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Rather than leading to just another social media onslaught and another set of hurt feelings, the bagel brouhaha transformed, according to local Jewish leaders, into an exemplar of teshuvah, the Jewish ideal of repentance. —Philissa Cramer, Sun Sentinel, 17 Mar. 2025

But open communication and mutual respect go a long way towards avoiding nasty public comments and hurt feelings. —Jourdan Rodrigue, The Athletic, 26 Aug. 2024

Rather than setting yourself up for more hurt feelings, do your best to forgive your parents for their favoritism and live your life. —Harriette Cole, The Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2025

There are plenty of hurt feelings between the trio: Henry wrote a critical editorial about their dad, then left town after Hank only hired Lou out of the police academy. —Vlada Gelman, TVLine, 19 Feb. 2025

Rhymes for hurt feelings

• ceilings
• dealings
• healings