Synonyms
Examples of hurtful in a Sentence
She can't forgive him for the hurtful things he said.
Their comments were really hurtful to me.
Recent Examples on the Web
Alongside the deeply hurtful acts of infidelity, abusive behavior and a lack of personal effort to keep the spark alive, there were three actions that stood out as most harmful to a relationship.
—
Mark Travers, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024
Surely somebody was on the inside, holding power, and yet everybody here felt iced out, their privilege and their victimhood irreducible against one another; each personal combination private, hurtful, and too tender to touch.
—Daisy Hildyard, The New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2024
Angry at his interference, Salma utters some cruel and hurtful words.
—Alissa Simon, Variety, 7 Dec. 2024
Some toxic relational patterns spotlighted within this trend aim to expose and dismantle the societal structures that women, unfortunately, experience in heteronormative relationships, with the hopes of challenging these hurtful norms to create equity and respectful relationships.
—Dominique Fluker, Essence, 3 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hurtful 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Mark Travers, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024
Surely somebody was on the inside, holding power, and yet everybody here felt iced out, their privilege and their victimhood irreducible against one another; each personal combination private, hurtful, and too tender to touch.
—Daisy Hildyard, The New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2024
Angry at his interference, Salma utters some cruel and hurtful words.
—Alissa Simon, Variety, 7 Dec. 2024
Some toxic relational patterns spotlighted within this trend aim to expose and dismantle the societal structures that women, unfortunately, experience in heteronormative relationships, with the hopes of challenging these hurtful norms to create equity and respectful relationships.
—Dominique Fluker, Essence, 3 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hurtful
Dictionary Entries Near hurtful
Cite this Entry
“Hurtful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hurtful. Accessed 6 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share