hurting

The word “hurting” means experiencing pain or distress, physical or emotional. In plain terms, feeling pain, whether physical or emotional — often used informally, as in "we're hurting for cash.".

Here is “hurting” used in a sentence: “After the layoffs, the whole team was hurting.”

Depending on how it is used, “hurting” can be an adjective and a noun.

“Hurting” is a fairly common word in modern English.

“Hurting” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: experiencing pain or distress, physical or emotional.

'Hurt' can be the base verb or its past tense and often names the injury or completed action, while 'hurting' is the -ing form showing pain that is ongoing, as in 'my knee is hurting.' 'Hurting' emphasizes that the pain is happening right now.

'Hurting' works as both: it is a verb form in 'she is hurting' and an adjective in 'a hurting heart.' It can also act as a noun meaning a feeling of pain.

'Hurting' covers both kinds of pain, so context decides the meaning; 'I'm really hurting' after a loss signals emotional distress, while 'my foot is hurting' is physical. The word itself does not specify which type.

Aching usually describes a dull, continuous pain, while hurting is a broader word for any pain, sharp or dull, physical or emotional. A tired muscle may be aching, but a fresh cut is more likely described as hurting.