1
as in harmful
causing or capable of causing harm
the most hurtful thing you can do to this silk dress is put it in the dryer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in painful
hard to accept or bear especially emotionally
her ex-husband said hurtful things that she could never forgive
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of hurtful
This makes what happened last night even more hurtful.
—
Colin Millar, The Athletic, 19 Feb. 2025
Such attacks were false and deeply hurtful to Americans who sought to relieve human suffering around the world, several people said.
—Declan Walsh, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2025
In that film, a group of high school girls create such a book to write hurtful rumors and gossip about other students.
—Jay King, The Athletic, 13 Feb. 2025
Finally, tell your friends that their harsh comments are more hurtful than helpful.
—Harriette Cole, The Mercury News, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hurtful
Colin Millar, The Athletic, 19 Feb. 2025
Such attacks were false and deeply hurtful to Americans who sought to relieve human suffering around the world, several people said.
—Declan Walsh, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2025
In that film, a group of high school girls create such a book to write hurtful rumors and gossip about other students.
—Jay King, The Athletic, 13 Feb. 2025
Finally, tell your friends that their harsh comments are more hurtful than helpful.
—Harriette Cole, The Mercury News, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hurtful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hurtful
Adjective
-
Scientists have found bits of plastic in the ocean that are coated in communities of microorganisms, including harmful bacteria.5 Jayakrishnan said the microplastics in the body may play a similar role, offering a medium for cancer-causing bacteria to grow and disrupt the gut microbiome.—
Claire Bugos,
Verywell Health,
7 Mar. 2025
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Cold water can increase blood flow to your face, boosting your skin's protection from free radicals, harmful compounds caused by exposure to UV light and pollution.—
Sherri Gordon,
Health,
6 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
For Senate Democrats, the GOP plan is painful to swallow.—
Philip Elliott,
TIME,
12 Mar. 2025
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Like witnessing a bad car crash, Ye’s (formerly known as Kanye West) latest episodes of hate speech and misogyny have been painful to watch and continue to elicit shock and dismay from every corner of the entertainment world.—
David Renzer,
Rolling Stone,
12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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In addition to losing the benefits for our kids, this loss of funds is a huge blow to community farmers and ranchers and is detrimental to school meal programs struggling to manage rising food and labor costs.—
Khaleda Rahman,
Newsweek,
13 Mar. 2025
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Musk’s Twitter purchase was a bad deal financially and has been detrimental to X’s bottom line, but his ownership of the platform helped boost his cultural and political relevance by keeping him in the center of the news cycle.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
As mere surrogates, the Trump-DeSantis fight to outdo each other through mean and cruel policies will go on.—
Letters to the Editor,
Orlando Sentinel,
6 Mar. 2025
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Immigration advocates call the crackdown cruel and wrongheaded and warn that many Latino U.S. citizens will likely suffer violations of their civil rights and possibly even get mistakenly deported.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
6 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The cyclone was already bringing heavy rainfall to coastal areas on Saturday, along with damaging winds and storm surges.—
Hilary Whiteman,
CNN,
7 Mar. 2025
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The system brought the potential for heavy rain, damaging winds, and isolated tornadoes.—
Russel Honoré,
Newsweek,
5 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Each of our pieces is a symbol of resilience, proving that creativity can thrive even under the harshest circumstances.—
Gemma A. Williams,
Forbes,
12 Mar. 2025
-
The Patriots are paying for potential more than immediate production, so the F grade feels harsh.—
Faisal Kutty,
Newsweek,
12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Paved highways meant dangerous going for horse and rider, and her only mishap of the trip would come at Portland, when Goldie slipped on rain-slick pavement and fell on his rider and broke her leg, resulting in a delay of several weeks.—
Ben East,
Outdoor Life,
14 Mar. 2025
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Part of this season’s focus has been on building his partnership with Murphy, whose primary attacking role is to find Isak in dangerous areas, and encouraging his team-mates to involve the striker whenever possible.—
Chris Waugh,
The Athletic,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
When ingested or inhaled, these microplastics can release these chemicals into the body, potentially leading to adverse health effects.—
Sheah Rarback,
Miami Herald,
13 Mar. 2025
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Research shows that supplementing with 0.14 to 0.36 grams per pound of body weight for up to five years is associated with minimal adverse effects and health risks.—
Melissa Nieves,
Verywell Health,
13 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hurtful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hurtful. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.
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