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
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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
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Recent Examples of hurtful
But some of the messages are frightening and certainly very hurtful.
—
Alice Park, TIME, 20 Mar. 2025
While some of the salacious gossip has been hurtful, Ovesen does not allow herself to be defined by it.
—Lynnette Nicholas, Essence, 19 Mar. 2025
All 10 candidates denounced the rhetoric, with some saying more needs to be done to call out hurtful behavior, especially in social media.
—Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2025
The filmmaker never shied away from mentioning how hurtful these experiences had been.
—Maelle Beauget-Uhl, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hurtful
Alice Park, TIME, 20 Mar. 2025
While some of the salacious gossip has been hurtful, Ovesen does not allow herself to be defined by it.
—Lynnette Nicholas, Essence, 19 Mar. 2025
All 10 candidates denounced the rhetoric, with some saying more needs to be done to call out hurtful behavior, especially in social media.
—Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2025
The filmmaker never shied away from mentioning how hurtful these experiences had been.
—Maelle Beauget-Uhl, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hurtful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hurtful
Adjective
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Our biochemical response to that type of stress is to release cortisol which eventually leads to the harmful downstream effects on our bodies, such as high blood pressure.—
Andrea Kane,
CNN Money,
1 Apr. 2025
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Make sure to not add dyes or sweeteners, which can be harmful to hummingbirds.—
Claire Hoppe Norgaard,
Better Homes & Gardens,
1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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However, Trump has described his policies as a painful yet necessary step to encourage companies to relocate their operations to the United States.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
4 Apr. 2025
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The overstressed tissue, either along your arch or right next to your heel, can then sustain tiny tears and become irritated, inflamed, and painful.—
Cindy Kuzma,
SELF,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Data shows how detrimental bad habits can be relative to the buy-and-hold investor.—
Greg Iacurci,
CNBC,
5 Apr. 2025
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The Institute for the Study of War said Friday that Russian strikes on Ukraine's civilian infrastructure under the cover of the ceasefire on energy strikes were detrimental to establishing peace.—
John W. Dean,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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What's particularly cruel about that reality is that after years of dealing with questions about his weight, the former Duke Blue Devil star played a career-high 70 games in 2023-24.—
Bobby Krivitsky,
Forbes.com,
1 Apr. 2025
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As poor, lost, beautiful Dorian becomes more and more shallow and cruel—with only the portrait locked away in his attic reflecting the decay of his body and soul—Williams and Snook together locate Wilde’s evocation of a particularly insidious kind of societal cancer.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Professionals, for the most part, consider these to be inefficient or damaging to knives.—
Ahmed Ali Akbar,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2025
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Tuesday’s storms could be strong to severe with the main threats being large hail, damaging winds and a few tornadoes, according to the NWS.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Donald Trump defended his harsh new tariffs on Saturday Night Live this week — and maybe took a swipe at last week’s musical guest, too.—
Dave Nemetz,
TVLine,
5 Apr. 2025
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When the father tried to explain himself, the women criticized him for being too harsh.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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As the medical profession came to consider cocaine and morphine as equally dangerous, coca became associated with opium, and the public was led to believe that the ruinous effects of habitual opium use would inevitably befall those who regularly chewed coca leaves.—
Wade Davis,
Rolling Stone,
6 Apr. 2025
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The speeds can vary from moment to moment and can quickly increase to become dangerous to anyone entering the surf.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The foreign material could pose serious adverse health consequences, leading the FSIS to consider the recall a Class I—the agency's highest level of alert.—
Abigail Wilt,
Southern Living,
7 Apr. 2025
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And while the metal is usually excreted from the body, and most people experience no adverse side effects, previous research has shown some gadolinium particles have been left behind.—
John W. Dean,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hurtful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hurtful. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
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