Injure Definition, Examples & Common Usage

Meaning 1：hurt (injure)

injure 🔊

/ˈɪndʒər/

To hurt a person or animal and cause damage to their body, like breaking a bone or causing bleeding.

Injured athlete holding knee on field after sports accident

hurt 🔊

➕

/hɜːrt/

To cause physical harm to a living being, often resulting in pain or impairment.

📁 Category：Physical & Mental Health 🔖 Level：intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'in-' (not) + 'jus' (law, right), literally 'not right' or 'unjust'.

💡 Mnemonic

Think 'in' + 'jury' – if a jury decides against you, you are 'injured' in reputation or physically.

📖 Example

The soccer player was injured during the match and had to be carried off the field. 🔊 During the match, the soccer player got injured and was taken off the field.

🔗 Collocations

suffer an injury – experience physical harm

seriously injured – badly hurt in a dangerous way

injure oneself – cause harm to one's own body

🔄 Synonyms

hurt (v.) – To cause physical pain or injury to someone.

wound (v.) – To cause an injury to living tissue, especially by cutting or piercing.

harm (v.) – To cause physical or mental damage to someone or something.

🚫 Antonyms

heal (v.) – To become healthy again after an injury.

cure (v.) – To relieve someone of a disease or injury.

protect (v.) – To keep someone or something safe from harm or injury.

🌱 Derivatives

injury (n.) – The state of being injured; physical harm.

injured (adj.) – Harmed or wounded physically.

injurious (adj.) – Causing injury; harmful.

📖 Cultural Story

Derived from Latin 'injuria' meaning 'unjust treatment', which evolved into Old French 'injure' and then English, shifting from legal 'wrong' to physical harm.