adj
hurtful
HURT-fuul
adj
1
Causing emotional pain, especially by being unkind or insulting.
"His hurtful comments about her work stung for days."
"It was a hurtful thing to say in front of everyone."
How to Use Hurtful
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomething said or done that causes emotional pain.
Common pairings
hurtful words
hurtful comment
deeply hurtful
Word Forms
more hurtful comparative, most hurtful superlative
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His _____ comments about her work stung for days.
Etymology
Formed from hurt plus the adjective suffix -ful.