hurt

hurt — verb

1. when a part of the body hurts or is painful, or when you make a person or animal

1.動詞及物 / 不及物A2
釋義

when a part of the body hurts or is painful, or when you make a person or animal suffer physical harm.

例句

Talia hurt her ankle while running across the playground.

transitive: hurt + body part

Christopher's lower back hurts after sitting at the desk all morning.

intransitive: body part + hurts

同義詞
  • ache

    continuous dull pain; you say your head aches but not 'your ankle ached after the fall' for a sharp injury

  • injure

    more formal and specifically about physical damage to the body, not about simply feeling pain

  • sting

    sharp, brief, surface-level pain like from a bee or a cut

反義詞
  • heal

    to become healthy again after being hurt

文法句型

hurt + body part

hurt + reflexive pronoun

body part + hurt(s) / is hurting

用法筆記

When describing a body part that feels pain, use the intransitive pattern (e.g. 'My leg hurts'). Do NOT use the adjective form — 'My leg is hurt' sounds unnatural in this meaning.

常見錯誤

❌My leg is hurt since the game.
✅My leg has been hurting since the game.
💡Use the continuous form 'is hurting' or simple present 'hurts' for ongoing pain, not the adjective construction.

2. to make someone feel sad, upset, or offended, especially by saying or doing some

2.動詞及物A2
釋義

to make someone feel sad, upset, or offended, especially by saying or doing something unkind.

例句

Quan hurt his sister's feelings when he forgot her birthday.

hurt + possessive + feelings

Élise was deeply hurt by the mean remarks her classmates made.

passive: be hurt by [person/thing]

同義詞
  • offend

    slightly more formal; focuses on causing displeasure or resentment

  • upset

    a gentler word; can describe the resulting state but less forceful than 'hurt'

  • wound

    more literary and intense; suggests deep, lasting emotional injury

反義詞
  • comfort

    to make someone feel less sad or worried

文法句型

hurt + possessive + feelings

be hurt + by + noun phrase / that-clause

It hurts + person + to-infinitive

用法筆記

The most natural object is 'someone's feelings' rather than just 'someone', though the shorter form is also common in conversation. Frequently used in the passive: 'I was hurt by what she said.'

常見錯誤

❌I'm very hurt with her.
✅I'm very hurt by what she did.
💡Use 'by' not 'with' to introduce the cause of hurt feelings.

3. to have a negative effect on something, such as a business, someone's chances of

3.動詞及物B1
釋義

to have a negative effect on something, such as a business, someone's chances of success, or a relationship.

例句

The bad weather hurt the farmer's harvest more than expected.

hurt + noun phrase [harvest/business]

Rising material costs have hurt many small furniture shops in the area.

同義詞
  • damage

    stronger and more permanent; suggests serious structural or reputational harm

  • harm

    similar but slightly more formal; often used in legal or policy contexts

  • set back

    phrasal verb meaning to delay progress or improvement

反義詞
  • boost

    to improve or increase something, e.g. 'boost sales'

文法句型

hurt + noun phrase [business/chances/reputation/sales]

用法筆記

The subject is typically an event, condition, or action (not a person). Common objects include 'chances', 'sales', 'reputation', 'business', and 'economy'. This sense is rarely used in the continuous form.

常見錯誤

❌The new tax hurt.
✅The new tax hurt small businesses.
💡In this sense, 'hurt' is always transitive; you must state what is harmed.

4. for a person, group, or business to struggle financially or materially because t

4.動詞不及物B2
釋義

for a person, group, or business to struggle financially or materially because they lack essential resources like money or supplies.

例句

Many families in the area are hurting financially after the factory shut down.

be hurting + adverb [financially]

The local food bank is hurting for donations this winter more than ever.

be hurting for + noun

同義詞
  • struggle

    broader; can refer to any difficulty, not just financial

  • suffer

    implies actual hardship or loss, not just shortage

反義詞
  • prosper

    to be successful, especially financially

文法句型

be hurting + adverb [financially/badly]

be hurting for + noun [money/donations/food]

用法筆記

Almost always used in the continuous form ('is hurting', 'are hurting') rather than the simple present. The phrase 'hurting for' is informal and typically takes a resource as its object.

常見錯誤

❌The company hurts for money.
✅The company is hurting for money.
💡This sense strongly prefers the continuous form 'is/are hurting'.

hurt — adjective

hurt — noun