adj Uncommon

hurtful

HURT-fuul

Hurtful (adj) means causing emotional pain, especially by being unkind or insulting. Example: “His hurtful comments about her work stung for days.”

adj

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 notes

In 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.

Frequently asked questions

What does “hurtful” mean?

The word “hurtful” means causing emotional pain, especially by being unkind or insulting. In plain terms, something said or done that causes emotional pain.

How do you pronounce “hurtful”?

“Hurtful” is pronounced HURT-fuul (/ˈhɜɹtfʊl/ in IPA).

How do you use “hurtful” in a sentence?

Here is “hurtful” used in a sentence: “His hurtful comments about her work stung for days.”

What part of speech is “hurtful”?

“Hurtful” is an adjective.

Is “hurtful” a common word?

“Hurtful” is an uncommon word in modern English.