HURTING Synonyms: 216 Similar and Opposite Words

hurting 1 of 2

adjective

as in aching

causing or feeling bodily pain a badly hurting finger kept her from writing neatly

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hurting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of hurt

as in throbbing

to feel or cause physical pain my head hurts a bad sprain that really hurts I hurt all over

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as in damaging

to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of don't worry that you'll hurt the new lawn by walking across it

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as in injuring

to cause bodily damage to the common belief that reading in poor light hurts your eyes

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as in grieving

to feel deep sadness or mental pain I know you must be hurting from the cruel words they said

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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of hurting

Verb

But there is another factor at play hurting the Democratic Party’s public voter registration that may not necessarily translate to people voting for Republican candidates on their ballots. — Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2026 Janie wouldn't be selling anything or hurting anyone, and RushTok naturally draws high traffic and has a low barrier to entry for new creators. — Jesse Watson, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026 This news is telling, considering the fact that Canales told reporters Friday that Reed would only be elevated if Coker — who’s been managing a quad injury since hurting himself against the Browns on Sunday — couldn’t go against the Lions. — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 3 Oct. 2026 To shop around for mortgages without hurting your credit, limit your search to a window of 14 to 45 days, according to Bankrate. — Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026 The publishers alleged Google’s practices diverted traffic away from their sites, hurting their revenue. — Emma Roth, The Verge, 1 Oct. 2026 Young was also on the injury report after hurting his left knee in last week’s 21-18 loss to the Cleveland Browns. — Joseph Person, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2026 The autistic girl had stopped hurting herself by banging her head on the floor when she was frustrated. — Joseph Shapiro, NPR, 30 Sep. 2026 Higher rates may slow loan growth for banks, hurting their bottom lines. — Fred Imbert, CNBC, 28 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hurting

Adjective

The homestretch of the drama, however, takes the story in a chilling direction, packing an aching quantity of feeling into a single glance at a security camera as someone climbs into a car and leaves the compound, never to be heard from again.

— Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 26 May 2026
Charles Frazier, Cold Mountain (1997) Charles Frazier’s Cold Mountain is an aching, tender slow burn shaped by absence.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026

Definition of aching

Verb

Kyiv region military administration head Tymur Tkachenko said on Saturday that a warehouse and production premise had been hit, injuring four people.

— Svitlana Vlasova, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2026
Elephants can be extremely destructive and dangerous, and several African countries must confront the problem of elephant herds destroying farmers’ crops and infrastructure as well as killing or injuring people.

— Sello Motseta, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of injuring

Verb

Shane Thomson, the high-risk security adviser who warned Hall, Zakrzewski and Kuvshynova not to go beyond the Kyiv city limits, joined the grieving parents in their lawsuit against Fox and Hall.

— David Folkenflik, NPR, 4 Oct. 2026
Her unexpected passing has left fans around the world grieving.

— Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of grieving

Adjective

As a young, aspiring writer, Perry yearned for dramatic, painful experiences to give her something to write about.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026
The album explores heartbreak, healing, faith and survival while shining a light on some of the most painful chapters of Judd's life, including her complicated relationship with her late mother Naomi Judd and Kelley's struggles.

— Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of painful

Verb

The Trib is withholding Nick’s full name to avoid marring his reputation in the eyes of future employers or others who might run a search on him.

— Kate Payne, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2026
The latter track takes overt inspiration from Sofia Coppola’s 2006 film Marie Antoinette, as Jepsen beckons her love to engage in life’s vices with her, like marring bedsheets with fruit stains and dashing nude through the garden.

— Jaeden Pinder, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of marring

Verb

As federal investigators try to determine the cause of the crash, island residents are mourning the dead and confronting the trade-offs of life so isolated from the rest of Southern California.

— Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
New England Patriots rookie Eli Raridon in mourning the death of his newborn son.

— Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 1 Oct. 2026