Hurt, Injure, Damage – What’s the Difference?

Hurt, Injure, Damage – What’s the Difference?

Hello English learners! Welcome to a new lesson.  Have you ever wondered what the difference is between hurt, injure, damage? These three little words might seem similar, but they’re not exactly the same, and using the wrong one can make your English sound a little off. Don’t worry, though! In today’s lesson, we’ll break down the meanings of each word in a simple, clear way with lots of useful examples. Whether you’ve hurt your finger, injured your ankle, or damaged your phone, we’ll show you exactly which verb to use and when. Let’s clear up the confusion and give your vocabulary a boost!

Hurt

Meaning: to feel pain or cause someone to feel pain (physically or emotionally). It is used for people and animals. It is a more general term and can refer to both physical and emotional pain.

• I fell off my bike and hurt my knee.
• Be careful with that knife—you’ll hurt yourself!
• Her words really hurt me.
• Does your head still hurt?
• He didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.

Grammar tip:

Hurt is irregular: hurt – hurt – hurt

It can be transitive (takes an object): He hurt his leg.

Or intransitive (no object): My back hurts.

Injure

Meaning: to cause physical harm or damage to a person or animal, especially more serious or accidental harm. It is used for both people and animals, often in cases of accidents or violence.  It sounds more formal than hurt and is often used in news reports or medical contexts.

• Several people were injured in the car accident.
• He injured his ankle while playing football.
• The dog was badly injured after being hit by a car.
• She injured her wrist while lifting heavy boxes.
• The player was injured and had to leave the match.

Grammar tip:

Injure is regular: injure – injured – injured

Often used in passive voice: Three workers were injured in the explosion.

Damage

Meaning: to cause harm to an object, building, reputation, or system.

It is used when something is broken, weakened, or not working properly. It is used for both tangible and abstract concepts (such as reputation, relationships, or the environment). It is not usually used on people’s bodies.

• The storm damaged several houses in the village.
• Be careful not to damage your phone!
• Smoking can seriously damage your lungs.
• His reputation was damaged by the scandal.
• Water has damaged the books in the basement.

Grammar tip:

Damage is regular: damage – damaged – damaged

Can be used in abstract ways: The lies damaged their friendship.

QUICK COMPARISON

Do the quiz to perfect your knowledge:

Hurt, Injure, Damage – What’s the Difference?

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