1
as in harmful
causing or capable of causing harm
the most hurtful thing you can do to this silk dress is put it in the dryer
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in painful
hard to accept or bear especially emotionally
her ex-husband said hurtful things that she could never forgive
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of hurtful
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.
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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 
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hurtful
Adjective
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Many advocacy organizations have also warned that age verification laws that require users to provide their government IDs pose serious privacy threats, while not actually protecting minors from harmful online content.James Factora, Them, 6 Jan. 2025
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As a result, regulators will introduce more stringent rules and frameworks aimed at curbing the harmful effects of false information.Stu Sjouwerman, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The camera stays close, capturing painful moments (Jaouad in the hospital), sweetness (exchanging wedding rings made of green twist ties), and most of all, Batiste's incredible passion.Debby Wolfinsohn, EW.com, 11 Jan. 2025
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Despite the painful setback, Strowman powered through the match and emerged victorious, solidifying his reputation for resilience.Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Vulnerable Populations Although everybody’s health can be affected when experiencing wildfires, certain populations are more likely to experience the detrimental health effects of fires.Omer Awan, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2025
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And not all of them are equally detrimental to health.Sarah Garone, Health, 11 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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And having more thoughtful conversations doesn’t preclude the need sometimes to confront those who are needlessly cruel or organizations that benefit from such exploitation.Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 18 Jan. 2025
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In recent months, the Justice Department and the state filed thousands of pages of new records in the lawsuit, including reports and sworn statements from pediatricians, scholars and others who describe Florida’s policies as archaic and cruel.Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 17 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Mother Nature exploded in Los Angeles this month with the most damaging wildfires in the city’s, and likely the nation’s, history.Carmen Balber, Rolling Stone, 17 Jan. 2025
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The deficit hawks said the package must be paid for by other changes to the budget — a stipulation that infuriated Republicans from New York and New Jersey, where the storm was most damaging, and triggered an internal fight within the GOP that benefited Democrats politically.Mike Lillis, The Hill, 16 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Advocates and relatives describe harsh conditions in immigration detention.Dake Kang and Huizhong Wu, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2025
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Soviet scientists at the time believed that strays, given that they were already accustomed to harsh conditions, would be better suited to the extreme environments of space.Scott Travers, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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As the winter storms progress, more updates are expected from local authorities to guide residents and travelers through potentially dangerous conditions.Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 12 Jan. 2025
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These wild lands accumulate brush, and that brush is incredibly dangerous.Audrey Conklin, Fox News, 12 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Some animals experienced adverse effects after consuming 150-300 milligrams (mg) of sulforaphane per kilogram (kg) of body weight.Chelsea Rae Bourgeois, RDN, LD, Health, 11 Jan. 2025
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The recall classification for the nuggets is Class 2, meaning that the products contain something that could cause temporary adverse health consequences to people who are exposed to it.Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near hurtful
Cite this Entry
“Hurtful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hurtful. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
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