Injure
/ˈɪndʒər/
Definitions
2 meaningsTo cause physical harm or damage to a person or animal; to wound or hurt.
/ˈɪndʒər/
To do physical harm or damage to someone or something.
He injured his knee playing basketball.
💡 Simply: When you get hurt, like if you fall and scrape your knee, that's an injury. Ouch!
👶 For kids: To hurt someone or something, like when you fall down and get a boo-boo.
More Examples
The car accident left several people injured.
The fall injured her arm, and she couldn't lift it.
The soldier was injured in the battle.
How It's Used
"The doctor treated the patient's injured leg."
"He injured his ankle during the soccer match."
To damage or harm something, especially in a way that reduces its value or effectiveness.
/ˈɪndʒər/
To damage or harm something other than a physical body.
The criticism injured his pride.
💡 Simply: It's like hurting something that isn't a body, like your feelings or someone's good name. If you say something mean about a friend, you might injure their feelings.
👶 For kids: To make something not good anymore, like when you break a toy or say something mean.
More Examples
His careless behavior injured the company's trust in him.
The bad weather injured the crops.
The company's reputation was injured by the scandal.
How It's Used
"The scandal injured his reputation."
"The lawsuit could injure the company's financial standing."
Synonyms
Idioms & expressions
add insult to injury
To make a bad situation worse.
"To add insult to injury, the car wouldn't start after the flat tire."
From Latin *iniūria* (wrong, injustice), which evolved to mean harm or damage, likely influenced by Old French *enjurier*.
The word has been used in English since the 14th century, initially with a broader sense of doing wrong or causing harm.