Pronunciation coach
Hurtful
Sounds like
hurtful
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Simple meaning
What does Hurtful mean?
Hurtful means causing someone to feel upset or hurt.
Dictionary definition
Hurtful means causing emotional pain, sadness, or upset feelings.
Example sentences
Hurtful in a sentence
easy
A hurtful joke can make someone feel left out.
medium
The teacher reminded us to avoid hurtful comments during group work.
hard
Choosing respectful words can prevent a disagreement from becoming hurtful.
Synonyms
Words like Hurtful
unkindNot friendly or caring.
meanIntended to upset or hurt someone.
insensitiveNot showing care for someone’s feelings.
Antonyms
Opposite words
Word family
Hurtful word family
Base word
hurtful
adverb
hurtfully
In a way that causes hurt.
noun
hurtfulness
The quality of causing emotional pain.
verb
hurt
To feel pain or cause pain.
Related words
Explore related words
Quick practice
Try Hurtful
Practice 1
What does hurtful mean?
Hurtful words or actions can cause emotional pain.
Practice 2
Which word is closest in meaning to hurtful?
Hurtful and unkind can both describe behavior that upsets someone.
Practice 3
Which sentence uses hurtful correctly?
Hurtful fits a sentence about words that upset people.
Practice this skill
Practice vocabulary in WordHive
Use the dictionary to understand Hurtful, then move into short activities matched to the skills on this page.
Learning paths
- Define the Word Hive for word meanings.
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- Context Clue Challenge for sentence clues.
- Buzz Between for homophones and listening.
- Hive Builder for roots, prefixes, and suffixes.